Scotiabank Weighs in on APA’s FY2026 Earnings (NASDAQ:APA)

APA Corporation (NASDAQ:APA) – Equities researchers at Scotiabank boosted their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of APA in a note issued to investors on Thursday, March 5th. Scotiabank analyst P. Cheng now anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.10 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $1.05. The consensus estimate for APA’s current full-year earnings is $4.03 per share.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on APA. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on APA from $30.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Benchmark upped their price target on APA from $33.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Evercore lifted their price objective on shares of APA from $21.00 to $25.00 in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Roth Mkm boosted their price objective on shares of APA from $23.00 to $27.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of APA from $22.00 to $26.00 in a research note on Monday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, APA currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $29.33.

APA Stock Performance

Shares of APA stock opened at $32.59 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $27.20 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. The stock has a market capitalization of $11.51 billion, a PE ratio of 8.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 16.95 and a beta of 0.67. APA has a 52-week low of $13.58 and a 52-week high of $33.78.

APA (NASDAQ:APA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 25th. The company reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.62 by $0.29. APA had a net margin of 15.55% and a return on equity of 19.89%. The business had revenue of $1.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.89 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.79 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 26.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

APA Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 22nd. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 22nd will be paid a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 22nd. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.1%. APA’s payout ratio is 25.06%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On APA

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of APA by 76.9% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 7,171,963 shares of the company’s stock valued at $175,426,000 after purchasing an additional 3,117,032 shares in the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in APA by 157.1% during the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 3,060,135 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,970,000 after buying an additional 1,869,891 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its position in APA by 21.8% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 10,425,586 shares of the company’s stock worth $255,010,000 after buying an additional 1,864,900 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in APA by 13.6% in the third quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 14,030,230 shares of the company’s stock valued at $340,657,000 after buying an additional 1,674,739 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp increased its holdings in APA by 29.6% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,462,476 shares of the company’s stock valued at $108,349,000 after buying an additional 1,018,326 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.01% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting APA

Here are the key news stories impacting APA this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Wolfe Research raised its price target to $45 (from $39), signaling meaningful upside versus recent levels and providing a bullish catalyst for the stock. Wolfe Adjusts Price Target on APA to $45
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade pushed APA to a new 12‑month high, reflecting renewed positive sentiment from at least one research shop and attracting momentum buyers. APA Sets New 12-Month High on Analyst Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst rating remains “Hold,” indicating overall analyst caution despite some bullish calls — a signal that upside is not unanimous. APA Given Consensus Rating of Hold
• Neutral Sentiment: Benzinga compiled 11 analyst perspectives (deep dive), useful for gauging the range of views and where sell‑side conviction concentrates; the compilation underscores mixed opinions. Deep Dive Into APA Stock: Analyst Perspectives
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data posted appears to show zero shares and NaN changes — likely a data/reporting error and not a meaningful short squeeze signal. Treat this as non‑informative until corrected.
• Negative Sentiment: Jefferies raised its target to $26 (from $22), but that level implies downside versus recent trading and signals a more conservative view relative to the Wolfe call. This divergent target contributes to mixed guidance and selling pressure from cautious investors. Jefferies Adjusts Price Target on APA to $26
• Negative Sentiment: Scotiabank reduced its earnings estimates for APA (and published FY2026 estimates), which is a negative fundamental signal and could pressure valuation until guidance or results improve. Scotiabank Research Analysts Cut Earnings Estimates for APA Scotiabank Estimates APA’s FY2026 Earnings

APA Company Profile

APA Corporation (NASDAQ: APA) is an independent exploration and production company engaged in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas resources. The company operates through three core regions: the United States, Egypt and the North Sea. Through its integrated approach, APA combines geological and geophysical expertise with technical innovation to identify and develop hydrocarbons in both onshore and offshore settings.

In the United States, APA’s largest position is in the Permian Basin of West Texas and southeastern New Mexico, where it holds substantial acreage dedicated to oil-focused drilling and production.