Howard Capital Management Inc. Has $2.04 Million Holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Howard Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 13.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 88,310 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 10,394 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in APA were worth $2,039,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in APA by 164.2% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,581 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 1,604 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of APA by 87.8% during the 3rd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 16,019 shares of the company’s stock worth $392,000 after buying an additional 7,490 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC raised its stake in shares of APA by 46.8% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 10,431 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,000 after buying an additional 3,323 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in APA in the third quarter valued at approximately $11,210,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its stake in APA by 3,286.9% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 308,206 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,539,000 after acquiring an additional 299,106 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have commented on APA. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and set a $32.00 target price on shares of APA in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Raymond James raised their target price on APA from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Mizuho lowered their price target on APA from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “underperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, APA has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.65.

APA Stock Performance

APA opened at $22.79 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.22 and a beta of 3.15. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $22.92 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.22. APA Co. has a 1 year low of $20.32 and a 1 year high of $36.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.24.

APA Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.39%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In other APA news, Director Juliet S. Ellis bought 4,391 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $22.78 per share, with a total value of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 12,436 shares in the company, valued at approximately $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

About APA

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.