Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS Purchases 88,656 Shares of APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA)

Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS raised its holdings in APA Co. (NASDAQ:APA) by 6.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,532,360 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 88,656 shares during the period. Kornitzer Capital Management Inc. KS owned 0.41% of APA worth $35,382,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Harris Associates L P boosted its holdings in shares of APA by 20.8% during the third quarter. Harris Associates L P now owns 24,914,700 shares of the company’s stock worth $609,414,000 after acquiring an additional 4,293,932 shares during the period. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in APA by 12.6% in the 3rd quarter. Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC now owns 30,471,834 shares of the company’s stock valued at $745,341,000 after purchasing an additional 3,411,270 shares during the period. Mizuho Securities USA LLC grew its holdings in APA by 3,450.8% in the 3rd quarter. Mizuho Securities USA LLC now owns 985,907 shares of the company’s stock valued at $24,115,000 after buying an additional 958,141 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its position in APA by 17.2% during the 3rd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 4,102,659 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,351,000 after buying an additional 600,612 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of APA by 4.2% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,991,513 shares of the company’s stock worth $293,312,000 after buying an additional 485,291 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

APA Trading Up 2.9 %

APA opened at $23.14 on Tuesday. APA Co. has a twelve month low of $20.32 and a twelve month high of $36.04. The company has a fifty day moving average of $22.86 and a 200-day moving average of $24.34. The stock has a market cap of $8.56 billion, a PE ratio of 3.27 and a beta of 3.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.03.

APA Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 22nd. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 22nd will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 22nd. APA’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 14.12%.

Insider Activity

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently commented on APA shares. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of APA from $30.00 to $27.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, November 8th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of APA from $28.00 to $27.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report 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 report on Wednesday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company downgraded APA from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $42.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price objective on APA from $26.00 to $23.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have given a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $30.65.

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.