APA (NASDAQ:APA) Stock Gets Price Target Bump from Stephens

APA (NASDAQ:APA) had its target price hoisted by Stephens from $49.00 to $51.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the stock. Stephens‘s price target would suggest a potential upside of 14.27% from the stock’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of APA in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a “buy” rating and a $62.00 price target on the stock. Seaport Research Partners began coverage on shares of APA in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. They issued a “neutral” rating for the company. KeyCorp set a $46.00 target price on shares of APA in a research report on Wednesday, August 12th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “hold” rating and set a $41.00 target price on shares of APA in a research report on Sunday, October 11th. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on APA from $41.00 to $40.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, August 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, APA currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $44.97.

APA Stock Up 2.6%

NASDAQ:APA traded up $1.15 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $44.63. 11,139,142 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,199,933. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $45.91 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.08. APA has a one year low of $23.06 and a one year high of $52.96. The company has a market cap of $15.64 billion, a PE ratio of 7.25, a PEG ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 0.29.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 4th. The company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.60 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $2.77 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.48 billion. APA had a net margin of 19.48% and a return on equity of 24.84%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 30.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.93 EPS. Equities analysts predict that APA will post 6.52 earnings per share for the current year.

APA announced that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, September 16th that authorizes the company to repurchase 40,000,000 outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Institutional Trading of APA

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Hollencrest Capital Management grew its position in shares of APA by 520.8% during the 1st quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 596 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 500 shares during the period. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its holdings in shares of APA by 623.0% in the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 629 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares during the period. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of APA in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in APA in the third quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Finally, Compass Financial Management LLC purchased a new position in APA in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: APA’s Q3 adjusted earnings more than doubled year over year, with revenue and EPS beating analyst estimates. Higher oil prices and U.S. production helped drive the results. APA Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong Oil Prices and U.S. Output
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 free-cash-flow outlook by $600 million to $2.9 billion, strengthening the case for debt reduction and financial flexibility. APA Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Higher Cash Flow and 2027 Plans
• Neutral Sentiment: APA is advancing exploration in Uruguay and considering a second FPSO for Suriname. These projects offer potential longer-term growth, but their eventual returns remain uncertain. APA charters rig for Uruguay well and hints at a second Suriname FPSO
• Negative Sentiment: Management expects higher spending in 2027 to advance Suriname development and exploration. While intended to support future growth, the investment could limit near-term cash available for debt reduction or shareholder returns.

About APA

APA Corporation is an independent energy company engaged in the exploration, development and production of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The company’s activities include identifying hydrocarbon resources, drilling and completing wells, operating producing properties, and managing related infrastructure.

APA’s principal producing areas include the Permian Basin in the United States and Egypt’s Western Desert, where it operates through joint ventures with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.