Zacks Research Weighs in on APA's Q2 Earnings (NASDAQ:APA)

Key Points

• Zacks Research raised APA’s Q2 2026 EPS estimate to $0.70 from $0.44 and kept a Strong-Buy rating, while also lifting forecasts for several future periods.
• APA recently beat Q1 earnings, posting $1.38 EPS versus the $1.11 consensus and revenue of $2.33 billion versus $2.13 billion expected, though revenue was still down 11.7% year over year.
• Despite mixed analyst views, APA’s shares were down 3.9% in Thursday trading; the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $40.08.

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA - Free Report) - Analysts at Zacks Research upped their Q2 2026 EPS estimates for APA in a research note issued on Tuesday, May 19th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $0.70 for the quarter, up from their prior forecast of $0.44. Zacks Research has a "Strong-Buy" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for APA's current full-year earnings is $5.20 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for APA's Q3 2026 earnings at $0.52 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.22 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.76 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $0.65 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $2.42 EPS and Q1 2028 earnings at $1.15 EPS.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on APA. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on APA from $38.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of APA from $29.00 to $32.00 and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on shares of APA from $22.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an "underweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 28th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of APA from $47.00 to $45.00 and set a "market perform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised APA from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $40.08.

APA Trading Down 3.9%

NASDAQ:APA opened at $39.32 on Thursday. APA has a 12-month low of $16.15 and a 12-month high of $45.66. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.17 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.92 and a quick ratio of 0.92. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $38.62 and a 200 day simple moving average of $30.45.

APA (NASDAQ:APA - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.11 by $0.27. The company had revenue of $2.33 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.13 billion. APA had a return on equity of 20.70% and a net margin of 17.38%.The business's revenue was down 11.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $1.06 earnings per share.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in APA. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its stake in shares of APA by 1,726.2% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,834,502 shares of the company's stock worth $205,176,000 after purchasing an additional 4,569,779 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of APA by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,171,963 shares of the company's stock valued at $175,426,000 after buying an additional 3,117,032 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in APA by 157.1% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,060,135 shares of the company's stock worth $55,970,000 after buying an additional 1,869,891 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley raised its position in APA by 21.8% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,425,586 shares of the company's stock valued at $255,010,000 after acquiring an additional 1,864,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in APA by 13.6% during the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,030,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $340,657,000 after acquiring an additional 1,674,739 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In other news, Director Matthew Regis Bob sold 23,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.23, for a total value of $833,290.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 6,634 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $240,349.82. This represents a 77.61% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.73% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: APA Corporation declared a regular cash dividend on its common shares, which can support investor confidence and income-focused demand. APA Corporation Declares Cash Dividend on Common Shares
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates for APA across multiple future periods and kept a Strong-Buy rating, signaling improved profit expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein lifted its price target on APA to $40 from $37, reflecting a modestly improved valuation view even though the firm kept a Market Perform rating. APA price target raised by Sanford C. Bernstein
• Negative Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $34 but maintained a Sell rating, suggesting continued concern about downside risk. Goldman Sachs price target raised on APA

About APA

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.

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