APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Sold by Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund

Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund cut its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 8.5% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 10,001 shares of the company’s stock after selling 926 shares during the period. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund’s holdings in APA were worth $344,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of APA by 4.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,648,084 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,535,001,000 after buying an additional 2,004,555 shares in the last quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of APA by 28.9% in the 4th quarter. Daiwa Securities Group Inc. now owns 33,246 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,193,000 after buying an additional 7,461 shares in the last quarter. Summa Corp. purchased a new stake in shares of APA in the 4th quarter worth about $7,571,000. Wealthquest Corp boosted its position in shares of APA by 21.7% in the 4th quarter. Wealthquest Corp now owns 154,200 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,533,000 after buying an additional 27,513 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of APA by 23.1% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,841,956 shares of the company’s stock worth $66,093,000 after buying an additional 345,192 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

APA Stock Down 2.5 %

NASDAQ:APA traded down $0.79 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $30.42. The stock had a trading volume of 1,240,575 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,271,969. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42. APA Co. has a 1-year low of $27.17 and a 1-year high of $46.15. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.65 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $31.02. The company has a market cap of $11.29 billion, a PE ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 3.27.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.90 by ($0.12). APA had a net margin of 34.04% and a return on equity of 45.32%. The firm had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.89 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.19 EPS. The firm’s revenue was down 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that APA Co. will post 4.17 EPS for the current year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 22nd. APA’s payout ratio is currently 11.19%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank reduced their target price on shares of APA from $37.00 to $30.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, July 12th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of APA from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, May 21st. Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of APA from $33.00 to $34.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, July 18th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of APA from $35.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 24th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “underweight” rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of APA in a report on Monday, April 15th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, six 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 company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $38.86.

About APA

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.