Empowered Funds LLC Has $2.77 Million Holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Empowered Funds LLC trimmed its stake in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 20.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 119,931 shares of the company’s stock after selling 30,008 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in APA were worth $2,769,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. TD Private Client Wealth LLC raised its stake in shares of APA by 84.1% in the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 540 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB grew its holdings in shares of APA by 77.9% during the fourth quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 586 shares in the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in APA by 93.5% in the 4th quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 1,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 780 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank lifted its stake in APA by 48.8% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 561 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Eastern Bank boosted its position in APA by 355.0% during the 4th 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. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

APA Stock Up 0.5 %

APA stock opened at $22.49 on Friday. APA Co. has a twelve month low of $20.32 and a twelve month high of $36.04. The stock has a market cap of $8.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.18 and a beta of 3.15. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $22.81 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $24.54. 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 Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.45%. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In other APA news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 12,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $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 SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on APA shares. Bernstein Bank lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $30.00 to $28.00 in a report on Friday, October 18th. Raymond James lifted their price target on shares of APA from $44.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. 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 research report on Friday, October 18th. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a “sector perform” rating and issued a $32.00 target price on shares of APA in a research report on Thursday, January 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given 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, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.65.

APA 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.