APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Short Interest Update

APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 31st, there was short interest totalling 26,960,000 shares, an increase of 12.1% from the January 15th total of 24,040,000 shares. Approximately 7.5% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 6,900,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.9 days.

APA Stock Up 2.9 %

Shares of APA stock traded up $0.65 on Friday, reaching $23.14. The stock had a trading volume of 7,881,814 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,460,765. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $22.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $24.45. 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 has a 1 year low of $20.32 and a 1 year high of $36.04. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 3.15.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on APA from $25.00 to $22.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. Raymond James increased their price objective on APA from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of APA from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of APA from $29.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.65.

Insider Transactions at APA

In other APA news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $22.78 per share, with a total value of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 12,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $283,292.08. This represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of APA

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of APA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. lifted its stake in APA by 1,087.9% during the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,176 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,077 shares during the period. TD Private Client Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of APA by 84.1% in 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. Riverview Trust Co lifted its stake in shares of APA by 5,718.2% in the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 1,280 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 1,258 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB lifted its stake in shares of APA by 77.9% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 586 shares during the period. Finally, Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of APA in the 4th quarter valued at $35,000. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.