Houston, Texas-based APA Corporation (APA) explores for, develops, and produces natural gas, crude oil, and natural gas liquids. With a market cap of $13.7 billion, the company also has exploration and appraisal activities in Suriname, as well as holds interests in projects located in Uruguay and internationally.
Shares of this independent energy company have significantly outperformed the broader market over the past year. APA has gained 148.3% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has rallied nearly 28.3%. In 2026, APA stock is up 64.8%, surpassing the SPX’s 4.2% rise on a YTD basis.
Zooming in further, APA’s outperformance looks less pronounced compared to the State Street SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Exploration & Production ETF (XOP). The exchange-traded fund has gained about 56% over the past year. Moreover, the stock’s returns on a YTD basis outshine the ETF’s 40.8% gains over the same time frame.
On Feb. 25, APA shares closed down by 2.7% after reporting its Q4 results. Its adjusted EPS of $0.91 beat Wall Street expectations of $0.62. The company’s revenue was $2 billion, beating Wall Street forecasts of $1.9 billion.
For fiscal 2026, ending in December, analysts expect APA’s EPS to grow 27.1% to $4.79 on a diluted basis. The company’s earnings surprise history is impressive. It beat the consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.
Among the 29 analysts covering APA stock, the consensus is a “Hold.” That’s based on six “Strong Buy” ratings, two “Moderate Buys,” 17 “Holds,” one “Moderate Sell,” and three “Strong Sells.”
This configuration is more bullish than a month ago, with five analysts suggesting a “Strong Buy.”
On Apr. 27, Bank of America Corporation (BAC) kept an “Underperform” rating on APA and raised the price target to $30.
The mean price target of $40.46 represents a marginal premium to APA’s current price levels. The Street-high price target of $56 suggests a notable upside potential of 38.9%.
