Zacks Research Analysts Lift Earnings Estimates for APA

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised APA’s Q3 2026 earnings estimate to $0.63 per share from $0.54, while maintaining a “Hold” rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Argus upgraded APA to “Buy,” while the broader analyst consensus is “Hold” with a $41.50 target price.
• APA recently reported quarterly EPS of $1.89, narrowly missing estimates, while revenue of $2.37 billion also fell short of expectations; institutional investors own 83.01% of the stock.

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q3 2026 earnings estimates for shares of APA in a research report issued on Thursday, August 20th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $0.63 per share for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.54. Zacks Research has a "Hold" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for APA's current full-year earnings is $5.54 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for APA's Q4 2026 earnings at $0.50 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.77 EPS and Q2 2028 earnings at $0.82 EPS.

Several other research analysts have also issued reports on APA. Susquehanna raised their target price on APA from $45.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a "positive" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on APA from $38.00 to $41.00 in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Argus raised APA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $48.00 price target for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 19th. Citigroup raised their price objective on APA from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised APA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $41.50.

APA Stock Performance

Shares of APA stock opened at $43.39 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 0.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. APA has a twelve month low of $20.71 and a twelve month high of $45.66. The stock has a market cap of $15.20 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.17, a P/E/G ratio of 0.78 and a beta of 0.35. The company's fifty day moving average is $35.97 and its 200 day moving average is $35.86.

APA (NASDAQ:APA - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $1.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.90 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $2.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.46 billion. APA had a net margin of 19.48% and a return on equity of 24.84%. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.87 EPS.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hollencrest Capital Management grew its stake in APA by 520.8% during the first quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 596 shares of the company's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in APA in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Summit Securities Group LLC lifted its stake in APA by 115.1% in the fourth quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the company's stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 710 shares during the period. MidFirst Bank acquired a new position in APA in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Compass Financial Management LLC bought a new position in shares of APA during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

APA News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Argus upgraded APA to Buy, providing a stronger analyst endorsement for the oil and gas producer and potentially supporting investor sentiment. APA Raised to Buy at Argus
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised multiple earnings forecasts: FY2026 EPS increased to $4.40 from $4.22, FY2027 to $3.16 from $2.99, FY2028 to $3.59 from $3.38, Q1 2027 to $0.94 from $0.84, Q3 2027 to $0.72 from $0.68, and Q4 2027 to $0.73 from $0.69. These revisions indicate improved expectations for APA’s medium-term earnings performance.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks maintained a Hold rating despite the higher estimates. The revisions remain below the consensus full-year estimate of $5.27 EPS for the current fiscal year, suggesting analysts see upside in longer-term forecasts but not enough evidence for a more decisive rating change. APA analyst estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 2028 EPS expectations were reduced to $0.99 from $1.03, partially offsetting the broader upward revisions and highlighting uncertainty around future commodity prices, production levels, and operating costs.

APA Company Profile

APA Corporation NASDAQ: APA is an independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas resources. The company operates through three core regions: the United States, Egypt and the North Sea. Through its integrated approach, APA combines geological and geophysical expertise with technical innovation to identify and develop hydrocarbons in both onshore and offshore settings.

In the United States, APA's largest position is in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where it holds substantial acreage dedicated to oil-focused drilling and production.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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