APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Sold by Vanguard Group Inc.

Vanguard Group Inc. decreased its holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 0.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 48,620,489 shares of the company’s stock after selling 274,880 shares during the quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. owned about 13.14% of APA worth $1,122,647,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its position in APA by 84.1% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,182 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 540 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of APA by 5,718.2% during the fourth quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 1,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,258 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in shares of APA by 77.9% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 586 shares during the last quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of APA in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its stake in APA by 93.5% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 780 shares during the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

APA Price Performance

APA stock opened at $20.92 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $21.58 and its 200 day moving average price is $22.92. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.95 and a beta of 3.26. APA Co. has a 1 year low of $17.66 and a 1 year high of $36.05.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.18). The company had revenue of $2.50 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.31 billion. APA had a return on equity of 27.86% and a net margin of 24.36%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that APA Co. will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

APA Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.78%. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APA has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and set a $23.00 price target on shares of APA in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Susquehanna cut their price target on shares of APA from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of APA from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of APA from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on shares of APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $28.25.

APA Profile

APA Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. It has oil and gas operations in the United States, Egypt, and North Sea. The company also has exploration and appraisal activities in Suriname, as well as holds interests in projects located in Uruguay and internationally.