Benchmark Raises APA (NASDAQ:APA) Price Target to $40.00

APA (NASDAQ:APA) had its price objective raised by Benchmark from $33.00 to $40.00 in a report issued on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Benchmark’s price target suggests a potential upside of 22.40% from the company’s current price.

A number of other research firms also recently issued reports on APA. Sanford C. Bernstein reduced their price target on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on APA from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of APA in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Susquehanna lifted their price objective on APA from $32.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup boosted their target price on APA from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 26th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $28.92.

APA Stock Performance

Shares of APA opened at $32.68 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $27.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of $24.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The company has a market capitalization of $11.54 billion, a PE ratio of 8.19, a P/E/G ratio of 15.73 and a beta of 0.67. APA has a 52-week low of $13.58 and a 52-week high of $33.42.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $1.99 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.89 billion. APA had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 19.89%. The firm’s revenue was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.79 earnings per share. Equities research analysts predict that APA will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its position in shares of APA by 276.7% during the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 1,213 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares during the last quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC grew its holdings in APA by 115.1% during the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 710 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp acquired a new stake in APA during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Spire Wealth Management increased its position in APA by 179.6% during the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,521 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 977 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new position in shares of APA in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. 83.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: APA announced a dual listing on Nasdaq Texas, which could increase local liquidity and visibility with Texas‑based investors and reinforce the company’s Permian Basin ties. APA Corporation Announces Dual Listing on Nasdaq Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple bullish analyst notes and price‑target increases have surfaced this week (Benchmark raised its target to $40 with a Buy; Susquehanna and BMO published positive commentary and a separate report raised the target to $34), supporting upward momentum and investor confidence. APA Price Target Raised to $34
• Positive Sentiment: Market commentary highlighted APA as a value upstream pick amid oil volatility, noting low valuation multiples, improved cost structure and cash flow — a narrative that attracts income/value‑oriented energy investors. Why One Energy Expert Is Betting on These 3 Oil Stocks Now
• Neutral Sentiment: RBC and Piper Sandler raised price targets (to $29 and $30) but kept sector‑perform/neutral ratings — a mixed signal that trims downside risk but doesn’t add a strong buy case. RBC/Piper Sandler PT adjustments
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest reports flagged a “large increase” but the underlying data shows 0 shares / NaN changes — likely a data error and currently not meaningful for price pressure or squeeze dynamics.
• Neutral Sentiment: Legislative chatter (H.R.7554) aiming to limit greenhouse‑gas regulation could, if enacted, ease regulatory risk for fossil‑fuel producers — a policy tailwind but highly uncertain and not a near‑term catalyst. H.R. 7554 CARBON Act
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank trimmed its FY2027 EPS estimate (from $1.65 to $1.50), signaling some analyst caution on near‑term earnings power; that could cap upside if others follow with cuts. Scotiabank cuts FY2027 estimate (MarketBeat)

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.