Geode Capital Management LLC Purchases 224,547 Shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA - Free Report) by 2.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 9,307,186 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 224,547 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC owned approximately 2.52% of APA worth $226,928,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. M&T Bank Corp grew its position in APA by 187.5% during the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 56,281 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,377,000 after buying an additional 36,707 shares during the period. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of APA by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 188,891 shares of the company's stock worth $4,620,000 after acquiring an additional 3,324 shares during the last quarter. MML Investors Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of APA during the 3rd quarter valued at $214,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in shares of APA in the 3rd quarter worth $116,000. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI raised its holdings in APA by 50.1% in the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 202,962 shares of the company's stock worth $4,964,000 after purchasing an additional 67,788 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company's stock.

APA Trading Down 0.3 %

Shares of APA stock traded down $0.08 on Friday, reaching $22.86. 4,064,586 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,271,859. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $23.51 and its 200 day simple moving average is $26.56. APA Co. has a 52 week low of $20.95 and a 52 week high of $37.82. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.46 billion, a PE ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 3.18.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.37%. APA's dividend payout ratio is currently 14.12%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

APA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of APA from $29.00 to $24.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on APA from $49.00 to $47.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 1st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $32.52.

Insider Transactions at APA

In other news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 12,436 shares of the company's stock, valued at $283,292.08. The trade was a 54.58 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 1.30% of the company's stock.

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.