American Century Companies Inc. Purchases 163,608 Shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

American Century Companies Inc. increased its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA - Free Report) by 30.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 697,224 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 163,608 shares during the quarter. American Century Companies Inc. owned approximately 0.19% of APA worth $16,099,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in APA. Runnymede Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in APA in the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,000. Washington Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of APA by 34.4% during the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Bank now owns 11,449 shares of the company's stock worth $264,000 after purchasing an additional 2,931 shares during the last quarter. Semanteon Capital Management LP bought a new position in shares of APA during the 4th quarter valued at $450,000. HUB Investment Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of APA by 10.1% in the 4th quarter. HUB Investment Partners LLC now owns 12,842 shares of the company's stock valued at $297,000 after purchasing an additional 1,183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, iA Global Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in APA by 187.9% in the fourth quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 30,949 shares of the company's stock worth $715,000 after purchasing an additional 20,199 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company's stock.

APA Price Performance

Shares of APA stock traded down $2.56 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $15.18. The company's stock had a trading volume of 19,921,606 shares, compared to its average volume of 6,537,422. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24. The firm's 50-day moving average is $21.14 and its two-hundred day moving average is $22.74. APA Co. has a 1-year low of $14.86 and a 1-year high of $36.05. The company has a market cap of $5.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.14 and a beta of 2.73.

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APA (NASDAQ:APA - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 26th. The company reported $0.79 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.97 by ($0.18). APA had a return on equity of 27.86% and a net margin of 24.36%. The business had revenue of $2.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.31 billion. On average, research analysts predict that APA Co. will post 4.03 earnings per share for the current year.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 6.59%. APA's payout ratio is presently 44.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a "sector perform" rating and issued a $32.00 price target on shares of APA in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Mizuho reduced their target price on APA from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 16th. Susquehanna lowered their price target on APA from $33.00 to $31.00 and set a "positive" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, March 3rd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of APA from $24.00 to $20.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of APA from $23.00 to $20.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $27.68.

APA 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.