APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Acquired by MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB

MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB lifted its holdings in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 93.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 1,614 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 780 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB’s holdings in APA were worth $37,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of APA during the fourth quarter valued at $351,000. Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its position in APA by 364.7% during the 4th quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC now owns 39,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $903,000 after acquiring an additional 30,697 shares during the period. Bernzott Capital Advisors grew its stake in APA by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Bernzott Capital Advisors now owns 195,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,508,000 after purchasing an additional 3,450 shares during the last quarter. Foundation Resource Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of APA by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Foundation Resource Management Inc. now owns 159,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,679,000 after purchasing an additional 7,884 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank lifted its holdings in shares of APA by 355.0% during the fourth quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 2,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Stock Performance

APA opened at $23.32 on Friday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $22.77 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $25.35. APA Co. has a 52-week low of $20.32 and a 52-week high of $36.04. The company has a market cap of $8.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.29 and a beta of 3.16. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

APA Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.29%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.12%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Susquehanna cut their price target on shares of APA from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 18th. Scotiabank cut their price objective on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Raymond James increased their price target on APA from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on APA from $39.00 to $33.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 30th. Four equities 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, APA has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.65.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average price of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 12,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.