M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. Acquires Shares of 15,200 APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. bought a new position in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 15,200 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $351,000.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in APA. TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 540 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 561 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank lifted its holdings in shares of APA by 355.0% in the fourth quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 2,275 shares of the company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 1,775 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of APA by 164.2% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,581 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 1,604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of APA during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $76,000. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. UBS Group cut their price objective on APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 9th. Susquehanna cut their price target on APA from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a “positive” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of APA from $39.00 to $33.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 30th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, APA presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.55.

APA Stock Performance

APA opened at $24.40 on Monday. 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 company’s fifty day moving average price is $22.62 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $25.49. The company has a market cap of $9.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 3.16. APA Co. has a 1-year low of $20.32 and a 1-year high of $36.04.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.10%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.12%.

Insider Transactions at APA

In other news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of APA stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $22.78 per share, with a total value of $100,026.98. Following the transaction, 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company 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.