Geode Capital Management LLC Increases Stock Position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,307,186 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 224,547 shares during the quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.52% of APA worth $226,928,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of APA. Harris Associates L P increased its holdings in shares of APA by 20.8% in the 3rd quarter. Harris Associates L P now owns 24,914,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $609,414,000 after acquiring an additional 4,293,932 shares during the period. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC boosted its position in APA by 12.6% during the third quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 30,471,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $745,341,000 after purchasing an additional 3,411,270 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in APA by 131.7% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,813,655 shares of the company’s stock valued at $141,704,000 after purchasing an additional 2,736,041 shares during the last quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC raised its holdings in APA by 3,450.8% in the third quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC now owns 985,907 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,115,000 after purchasing an additional 958,141 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of APA by 112.6% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,448,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,092,000 after buying an additional 767,557 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In other news, Director Juliet S. Ellis purchased 4,391 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 12,436 shares in the company, valued at $283,292.08. This represents a 54.58 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

APA Price Performance

Shares of APA opened at $22.86 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 3.18. The business’s 50-day moving average is $23.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $26.58. 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 fifty-two week low of $20.95 and a fifty-two week high of $37.82.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on APA. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of APA from $29.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Barclays dropped their target price on APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 8th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on APA from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on APA from $26.00 to $25.00 in a report on Friday, October 18th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $32.52.

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.