Arkadios Wealth Advisors Sells 2,292 Shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Arkadios Wealth Advisors reduced its holdings in shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 10.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,999 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,292 shares during the quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors’ holdings in APA were worth $462,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in APA. Empirical Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 30,697 shares during the last quarter. Bernzott Capital Advisors lifted its holdings in APA by 1.8% in the fourth quarter. Bernzott Capital Advisors now owns 195,235 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,508,000 after acquiring an additional 3,450 shares during the period. Foundation Resource Management Inc. boosted its position in APA by 5.2% in the fourth quarter. Foundation Resource Management Inc. now owns 159,319 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,679,000 after purchasing an additional 7,884 shares during the last quarter. Eastern Bank grew its stake in shares of 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. Finally, Czech National Bank grew its position in APA by 6.4% during the fourth quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 80,212 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,852,000 after buying an additional 4,859 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Trading Down 2.9 %

NASDAQ:APA opened at $23.70 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $22.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $25.42. APA Co. has a one year low of $20.32 and a one year high of $36.04. The firm has a market cap of $8.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 3.35 and a beta of 3.16. 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 firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.22%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 14.12%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Juliet S. Ellis bought 4,391 shares of APA stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $22.78 per share, for a total transaction of $100,026.98. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 12,436 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $283,292.08. This trade represents a 54.58 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 1.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Scotiabank decreased their target price on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. Piper Sandler cut their price target on APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Evercore ISI reduced their target price on shares of APA from $39.00 to $33.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Susquehanna lowered their price target on APA from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a “positive” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 18th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued 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 has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $30.55.

APA Company 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.