APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) Receives Average Recommendation of “Hold” from Brokerages

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) has earned a consensus rating of “Hold” from the thirty-one research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell recommendation, twenty have assigned a hold recommendation and seven have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $35.3846.

APA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Bank of America boosted their price objective on APA from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of APA in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Benchmark boosted their price target on shares of APA from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 5th.

APA News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research has raised multiple near‑term and full‑year EPS forecasts for APA (several quarterly upgrades and higher FY2026/FY2027 estimates), signaling modestly improved earnings outlooks though the firm retains a “Hold” rating; consensus FY estimate remains near $4.03. Zacks/MarketBeat coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Stephens published a bullish note forecasting strong price appreciation for APA, which supports upside sentiment among growth‑oriented investors. Stephens Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for APA
• Positive Sentiment: Analysis on APA’s focus in Suriname Block 58 and its digital/workforce investments highlights a potentially low‑cost, large offshore development that can materially improve long‑term asset value and free‑cash‑flow visibility. How APA’s Suriname Block 58 Focus and Digital Push Has Changed Its Investment Story
• Neutral Sentiment: Additional analyst commentary and FY2028 earnings expectation pieces have been circulated (summary/expectations coverage). These provide context but are not materially different from recent consensus estimates. Equities Analysts Set Expectations for APA FY2028 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Commodity pressure: APA previously slid after crude oil softened on hopes of de‑escalation in the Iran conflict, showing the stock’s sensitivity to short‑term oil moves. That piece also flags recent insider selling and large institutional portfolio rebalances (significant reductions by some managers), plus several sell/underweight analyst stances and a median price target below current levels — all potential headwinds. APA slides as crude oil pulls back

APA Stock Up 1.7%

APA stock opened at $42.04 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $32.03 and a 200-day moving average of $27.03. APA has a fifty-two week low of $13.58 and a fifty-two week high of $45.66. The company has a market capitalization of $14.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.54 and a beta of 0.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.82.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.29. The company had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.89 billion. APA had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 19.89%. APA’s revenue was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.79 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that APA will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. APA’s payout ratio is presently 25.06%.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In other APA news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.23, for a total transaction of $833,290.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 6,634 shares in the company, valued at $240,349.82. This represents a 77.61% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.69% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of APA

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. raised its position in shares of APA by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 106,667 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,609,000 after acquiring an additional 375 shares in the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of APA by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 28,171 shares of the company’s stock valued at $689,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC grew its stake in APA by 3.2% in the fourth quarter. Patriot Financial Group Insurance Agency LLC now owns 14,648 shares of the company’s stock worth $358,000 after purchasing an additional 461 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in APA by 0.5% in the third quarter. Howard Capital Management Inc. now owns 94,848 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,303,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. Finally, one8zero8 LLC raised its holdings in APA by 1.2% in the third quarter. one8zero8 LLC now owns 42,254 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,026,000 after purchasing an additional 488 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About APA

APA Corporation (NASDAQ: APA) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas resources. The company operates through three core regions: the United States, Egypt and the North Sea. Through its integrated approach, APA combines geological and geophysical expertise with technical innovation to identify and develop hydrocarbons in both onshore and offshore settings.

In the United States, APA’s largest position is in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where it holds substantial acreage dedicated to oil-focused drilling and production.