APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Stock Position Lifted by Foundation Resource Management Inc.

Foundation Resource Management Inc. increased its position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA - Free Report) by 10.8% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 176,596 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 17,277 shares during the period. Foundation Resource Management Inc.'s holdings in APA were worth $3,712,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in APA. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its holdings in shares of APA by 1,087.9% during the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,176 shares of the company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 1,077 shares during the period. Riverview Trust Co grew its position in 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 buying an additional 1,258 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its position in 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 buying an additional 586 shares in the last quarter. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in APA during the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Finally, Siemens Fonds Invest GmbH bought a new stake in shares of APA during the 4th quarter worth about $42,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company's stock.

APA Trading Up 1.7%

APA stock traded up $0.34 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $19.95. 8,320,018 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,047,919. APA Co. has a 52-week low of $13.58 and a 52-week high of $33.41. The stock's fifty day moving average is $16.64 and its 200-day moving average is $20.11. The company has a market cap of $7.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.82 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

APA (NASDAQ:APA - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 7th. The company reported $1.06 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.83 by $0.23. APA had a net margin of 24.36% and a return on equity of 27.86%. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.17 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.78 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 35.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that APA Co. will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current year.

APA Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, August 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, July 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, July 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.01%. APA's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 35.97%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Scotiabank decreased their price objective on shares of APA from $26.00 to $14.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Argus upgraded APA to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, May 16th. Barclays lowered their price target on APA from $25.00 to $19.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on APA from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a "sector perform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "sell" rating and set a $23.00 target price on shares of APA in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $25.21.

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.