Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $11.18 Million Stock Position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Principal Financial Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 3.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 456,922 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 13,557 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.12% of APA worth $11,176,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in APA. TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC acquired a new stake in shares of APA in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $42,000. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in shares of APA by 48.8% during the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 561 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in 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 during the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of APA during the second quarter worth $76,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at APA

In related news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the purchase, the director now owns 12,436 shares in the company, valued at $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 1.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. UBS Group cut their price target on APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target 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. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of APA from $26.00 to $25.00 in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Scotiabank cut their target price on APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Truist Financial lowered their price objective on APA from $36.00 to $33.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, APA presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $31.14.

APA Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:APA opened at $22.09 on Monday. APA Co. has a 1-year low of $20.32 and a 1-year high of $37.09. The stock has a market cap of $8.17 billion, a PE ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 3.18. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $22.60 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $26.02. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick 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 issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.53%. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%.

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.