Wealthquest Corp Raises Position in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Wealthquest Corp boosted its position in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 14.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 177,241 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 23,041 shares during the period. APA accounts for about 0.3% of Wealthquest Corp’s portfolio, making the stock its 24th largest holding. Wealthquest Corp’s holdings in APA were worth $4,093,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB raised its position in shares of APA by 93.5% in the fourth 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. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. acquired a new stake in APA in the 4th quarter valued at about $351,000. Empirical Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in APA by 364.7% in the 4th quarter. Empirical Asset Management LLC now owns 39,114 shares of the company’s stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 30,697 shares in the last quarter. Bernzott Capital Advisors boosted its holdings in shares of APA by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Bernzott Capital Advisors now owns 195,235 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,508,000 after purchasing an additional 3,450 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Foundation Resource Management Inc. grew its position in shares of APA by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Foundation Resource Management Inc. now owns 159,319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,679,000 after purchasing an additional 7,884 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Stock Down 3.0 %

Shares of NASDAQ:APA opened at $24.40 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $22.67 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.45. 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 Co. has a 1 year low of $20.32 and a 1 year high of $36.04. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.03 billion, a PE ratio of 3.45 and a beta of 3.16.

APA Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.10%. APA’s dividend payout ratio is presently 14.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Juliet S. Ellis acquired 4,391 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated 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 owns 12,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $283,292.08. This represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 1.30% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on APA shares. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded APA from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $42.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Evercore ISI lowered their price target on shares of APA from $39.00 to $33.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of APA from $29.00 to $25.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of APA from $25.00 to $24.00 and set an “underperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 16th. Finally, Scotiabank cut their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, APA has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $30.55.

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.