APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Sold by Guggenheim Capital LLC

Guggenheim Capital LLC lessened its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 45.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 54,745 shares of the company’s stock after selling 46,007 shares during the quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC’s holdings in APA were worth $1,264,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its position in APA by 1,087.9% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 1,077 shares during the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co grew its position in shares of APA by 5,718.2% in the fourth 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 increased its stake in APA by 77.9% in the fourth 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 last quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in APA during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its stake in APA by 93.5% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,614 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 780 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Price Performance

APA opened at $15.50 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $5.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 2.74. APA Co. has a 1-year low of $13.58 and a 1-year high of $33.41. The company has a 50-day moving average of $19.27 and a 200-day moving average of $21.84. 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 (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.79 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 the consensus estimate of $2.31 billion. Equities analysts expect that APA Co. will post 4.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 6.45%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of APA from $27.00 to $25.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 18th. Susquehanna decreased their price target on shares of APA from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on APA from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “sell” rating and issued a $23.00 target price on shares of APA in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on APA from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $26.21.

APA Company 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.