APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) Shares Bought by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 456,922 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,557 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.12% of APA worth $11,176,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in APA by 75.4% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,093 shares of the company’s stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 470 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. grew its stake in shares of APA by 386.7% during the 2nd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 1,358 shares of the company’s stock valued at $40,000 after buying an additional 1,079 shares during the period. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new stake in shares of APA during the 2nd quarter valued at $42,000. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC grew its stake in shares of APA by 1,325.0% during the 2nd quarter. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC now owns 1,710 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after buying an additional 1,590 shares during the period. Finally, LRI Investments LLC purchased a new stake in shares of APA during the 1st quarter valued at $59,000. 83.01% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

APA has been the subject of several research reports. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $29.00 to $28.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $32.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Bernstein Bank lowered their price objective on shares of APA from $30.00 to $28.00 in a research note on Friday, October 18th. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, Scotiabank decreased their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $32.95.

APA Stock Performance

NASDAQ:APA opened at $22.38 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 1.24 and a quick ratio of 1.24. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $24.51 and a two-hundred day moving average of $27.65. The stock has a market cap of $8.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.16 and a beta of 3.24. APA Co. has a 1-year low of $21.15 and a 1-year high of $37.82.

APA Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, November 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, October 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, October 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.47%. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%.

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.