APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Position Boosted by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 459.8% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 53,538 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 43,974 shares during the quarter. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in APA were worth $1,236,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in APA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. grew its holdings in APA by 1,087.9% in the 4th quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 1,077 shares in the last quarter. Riverview Trust Co grew its holdings in APA by 5,718.2% in the 4th quarter. Riverview Trust Co now owns 1,280 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 1,258 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in APA by 77.9% in the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 586 shares in the last quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in APA in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings 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 in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on APA. Scotiabank cut their target price on APA from $26.00 to $14.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Susquehanna cut their target price on APA from $31.00 to $30.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 22nd. Piper Sandler cut their target price on APA from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley set a $20.00 target price on APA and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on APA from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, APA presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $25.37.

APA Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:APA opened at $18.17 on Thursday. APA Co. has a one year low of $13.58 and a one year high of $33.41. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $17.57 and a 200-day moving average of $20.81. The company has a market capitalization of $6.57 billion, a PE ratio of 2.57 and a beta of 1.18. 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 announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.23. The company had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.17 billion. APA had a return on equity of 27.86% and a net margin of 24.36%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 35.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that APA Co. will post 4.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.