Sei Investments Co. Grows Position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 121.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 295,596 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 162,149 shares during the quarter. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in APA were worth $6,825,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its holdings in APA by 25.5% in the 3rd quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 28,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $702,000 after purchasing an additional 5,842 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of APA by 5.4% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 359,409 shares of the company’s stock valued at $8,816,000 after buying an additional 18,332 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its stake in shares of APA by 3.1% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 302,301 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,394,000 after buying an additional 9,033 shares during the period. Townsquare Capital LLC acquired a new stake in APA during the third quarter worth approximately $231,000. Finally, Glenmede Trust Co. NA grew its stake in APA by 8.6% in the 3rd quarter. Glenmede Trust Co. NA now owns 9,803 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,000 after acquiring an additional 775 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Price Performance

APA stock opened at $21.02 on Tuesday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $21.51 and a 200-day simple moving average of $22.89. The firm has a market cap of $7.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.97 and a beta of 3.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24. APA Co. has a 1 year low of $17.66 and a 1 year high of $36.05.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.97 by ($0.18). APA had a net margin of 24.36% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The firm had revenue of $2.50 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.31 billion. On average, equities analysts predict that APA Co. will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.76%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 44.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently issued reports on APA. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a “sell” rating and set a $23.00 price objective on shares of APA in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Susquehanna decreased their price target on APA from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of APA from $25.00 to $23.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and set a $32.00 price target on shares of APA in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, APA has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $28.25.

APA Profile

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.