APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Stock Position Raised by Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd

Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 3.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 35,854 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,210 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd’s holdings in APA were worth $828,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of APA. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its stake in APA by 84.1% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 540 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in APA by 93.5% during the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 780 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in APA by 48.8% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,710 shares of the company’s stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 561 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank boosted its position in APA by 355.0% during the 4th quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 2,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 1,775 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in APA by 164.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,581 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after acquiring an additional 1,604 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other APA news, Director Juliet S. Ellis purchased 4,391 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 12th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 12,436 shares in the company, valued at $283,292.08. This represents a 54.58 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Susquehanna reduced their price target on shares of APA from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Bernstein Bank cut their target price on shares of APA from $30.00 to $28.00 in a research report on Friday, October 18th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of APA from $25.00 to $22.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered APA from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and cut their price objective for the stock from $42.00 to $25.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $32.00 target price on shares of APA in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.65.

APA Trading Up 1.4 %

NASDAQ:APA opened at $23.31 on Wednesday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $22.79 and its 200-day moving average is $24.57. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. APA Co. has a 12 month low of $20.32 and a 12 month high of $36.04. The firm has a market cap of $8.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 3.15.

APA Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is 14.12%.

APA Company 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.