Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $12.57 Million Position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 23.0% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 365,474 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 68,244 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.12% of APA worth $12,565,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. HB Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of APA by 5.0% in the 4th quarter. HB Wealth Management LLC now owns 6,528 shares of the company’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares in the last quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its position in shares of APA by 1.5% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 25,029 shares of the company’s stock worth $898,000 after purchasing an additional 358 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of APA by 64.0% in the 4th quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 961 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares during the period. SVB Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of APA by 7.0% in the 4th quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 5,868 shares of the company’s stock worth $211,000 after purchasing an additional 386 shares during the period. Finally, Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of APA by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC now owns 106,695 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,828,000 after acquiring an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

APA Price Performance

Shares of APA traded down $0.28 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $31.87. 1,320,755 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,369,637. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $29.56 and a 200-day moving average of $31.22. APA Co. has a one year low of $27.17 and a one year high of $46.15. The firm has a market cap of $11.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.54, a PEG ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 3.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.42, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.16.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 2nd. The company reported $0.78 earnings per share 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 company had revenue of $1.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.89 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.19 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 2.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that APA Co. will post 4.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, August 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, July 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.14%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, July 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 11.19%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APA has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $53.00 to $52.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. StockNews.com lowered shares of APA from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, May 10th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of APA from $35.00 to $33.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 24th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “underweight” rating and issued a $28.00 target price on shares of APA in a research note on Monday, April 15th. Finally, Bank of America reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $31.00 price target on shares of APA in a report on Friday, June 14th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $39.18.

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.