APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Purchased by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA - Free Report) by 22.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 74,138 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,487 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.'s holdings in APA were worth $1,712,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. TD Private Client Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of APA by 84.1% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,182 shares of the company's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 540 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its holdings in APA by 93.5% in the fourth quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,614 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 780 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank increased its position in shares of APA by 48.8% in the third quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,710 shares of the company's stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 561 shares in the last quarter. Eastern Bank raised its stake in shares of APA by 355.0% during the 4th quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 2,275 shares of the company's stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 1,775 shares during the period. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of APA by 164.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,581 shares of the company's stock valued at $63,000 after buying an additional 1,604 shares in the last quarter. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other APA news, Director Juliet S. Ellis purchased 4,391 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 12,436 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

APA has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group cut their price target on shares of APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Barclays reduced their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on APA from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Raymond James increased their price objective on APA from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $30.65.

APA Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ APA traded down $0.20 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $22.19. 4,278,333 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,524,153. The company's 50-day moving average is $22.80 and its 200-day moving average is $24.86. 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 has a market capitalization of $8.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.13 and a beta of 3.15. APA Co. has a 52-week low of $20.32 and a 52-week high of $36.04.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.51%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. APA's dividend payout ratio is presently 14.12%.

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.