Barclays Upgrades APA Corp. Amid Positive LNG Market Outlook
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 02 2026
0mins
Should l Buy APA?
Source: CNBC
APA Corp's stock rose by 5.41% and reached a 52-week high amid a broader market decline.
Barclays upgraded APA's rating from Underweight to Equal Weight, raising the price target from $28 to $35, reflecting the positive impact of improved Middle East developments on APA's gas marketing business. Analyst Betty Jiang noted that APA has the highest exposure to LNG prices in her coverage, with projected gas marketing gains of approximately $1.15 billion in 2026, significantly higher than the previous guidance of $650 million. This upgrade highlights APA's strong cash flow potential, with every $5/MMBtu increase in LNG prices expected to yield about $210 million in incremental annual cash flow.
The upgrade from Barclays indicates a strong outlook for APA, particularly in the context of rising LNG prices and geopolitical developments in the Middle East, positioning the company favorably for future growth.
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Analyst Views on APA
Wall Street analysts forecast APA stock price to fall
19 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
10 Hold
5 Sell
Hold
Current: 42.440
Low
21.00
Averages
26.17
High
40.00
Current: 42.440
Low
21.00
Averages
26.17
High
40.00
About APA
APA Corporation is an independent energy company. The Company owns subsidiaries that explore for and produce oil and natural gas in the United States, Egypt, and the United Kingdom, and that explore for oil and natural gas offshore Suriname. The Company’s upstream business has oil and gas operations in three geographic areas: the United States, Egypt and offshore the United Kingdom in the North Sea (North Sea). It also has active exploration and appraisal operations ongoing in Suriname, as well as interests in Uruguay and other international locations. It maintains a diversified asset portfolio, including conventional and unconventional, onshore and offshore, oil and natural gas exploration and production interests. In the United States, operations are primarily focused on the Permian Basin of West Texas. The Company has conventional onshore assets in Egypt’s Western Desert, and offshore assets on the United Kingdom’s Continental Shelf.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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