Venturi Wealth Management LLC Acquires 1,819 Shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Venturi Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 596.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,124 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,819 shares during the period. Venturi Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in APA were worth $49,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in APA. TD Private Client Wealth LLC boosted its position in APA by 84.1% during the 3rd quarter. TD Private Client Wealth LLC now owns 1,182 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 540 shares during the period. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB boosted its position in APA by 77.9% during the 4th quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB now owns 1,338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 586 shares during the period. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB boosted its position in APA by 93.5% during 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 period. Huntington National Bank increased its holdings in 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 period. Finally, Eastern Bank increased its holdings in APA by 355.0% during the 4th quarter. Eastern Bank now owns 2,275 shares of the company’s stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 1,775 shares during the period. 83.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

APA Price Performance

APA stock opened at $22.38 on Wednesday. APA Co. has a 52-week low of $20.32 and a 52-week high of $36.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $8.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 3.15. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $22.97 and a 200-day moving average price of $24.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a current ratio of 1.24.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.47%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is currently 14.12%.

Insider Transactions at APA

In other APA news, Director Juliet S. Ellis bought 4,391 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The shares were acquired 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 approximately $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APA has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded APA from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $42.00 to $25.00 in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, December 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 13th. Mizuho dropped 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, Citigroup reduced their price target on shares of APA from $29.00 to $24.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 26th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.65.

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.