Benchmark Issues Positive Forecast for APA (NASDAQ:APA) Stock Price

APA (NASDAQ:APA) had its price objective raised by Benchmark from $33.00 to $40.00 in a research report report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a buy rating on the stock.

APA has been the subject of several other reports. Evercore lifted their price target on shares of APA from $21.00 to $25.00 in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein dropped their price objective on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a “market perform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 5th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of APA from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Mizuho boosted their target price on APA from $22.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on APA from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $28.92.

APA Price Performance

Shares of APA stock opened at $32.38 on Thursday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $26.87 and its 200 day simple moving average is $24.84. APA has a one year low of $13.58 and a one year high of $32.78. The firm has a market cap of $11.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.12, a P/E/G ratio of 15.11 and a beta of 0.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.29. APA had a return on equity of 19.89% and a net margin of 15.55%.The company had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.89 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.79 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 26.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that APA will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 25.06%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of APA. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators increased its stake in shares of APA by 276.7% in the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 1,213 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 891 shares during the period. Summit Securities Group LLC boosted its position in shares of APA by 115.1% in the 4th quarter. Summit Securities Group LLC now owns 1,327 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 710 shares during the last quarter. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp bought a new stake in APA in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Spire Wealth Management lifted its stake in APA by 179.6% in the third quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,521 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 977 shares during the period. Finally, Camelot Portfolios LLC acquired a new position in APA in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

More APA News

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: APA announced a dual listing on Nasdaq Texas, highlighting its Texas/Permian roots and raising local investor visibility. APA Corporation Announces Dual Listing on Nasdaq Texas
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark raised its price target to $40 and assigned a “buy” rating, providing a sizable upside view versus current levels. Benchmark price-target coverage (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: MarketBeat highlighted APA as one of three energy stocks to buy amid oil-price volatility and Permian exposure, reinforcing interest from income/value energy investors. Why One Energy Expert Is Betting on These 3 Oil Stocks Now
• Positive Sentiment: Fundamental coverage (Seeking Alpha / company analysis) emphasizes APA’s operational efficiencies, >$1B free cash flow in 2025 and a large inventory of high-return wells—supporting sustainable cash generation and buyback/dividend optionality. APA Corp: Redefined By Operational Efficiencies And Middle East Turmoil
• Positive Sentiment: Several bullish analyst notes and price-target raises (including Susquehanna, BMO and a $34 PT report) are adding upward pressure by signaling improving sell‑side sentiment. Susquehanna Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for APA
• Neutral Sentiment: Argus / institutional research coverage published analyst-level reports on APA; these add informational depth but were not uniformly transformational. Analyst Report: APA Corporation (Argus)
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest data in the feed is unreliable (zero/NaN entries) and does not provide a clear signal for positioning or squeeze risk at present.
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank cut its FY2027 EPS forecast to $1.50 from $1.65, a downward revision that could weigh on forward expectations if other shops follow.
• Negative Sentiment: RBC and Piper Sandler adjusted price targets ($29 and $30 respectively) and maintained non‑buy/neutral stances, implying limited near‑term upside from those desks. RBC adjusts APA price target to $29 Piper Sandler adjusts APA price target to $30

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.