APA Corporation Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates Despite Weak Oil Prices

Core Insights - APA Corporation reported third-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings of 93 cents per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 74 cents, driven by higher production and lower costs [1][8] - The adjusted profit decreased from $1.00 in the previous year due to lower oil realizations [1] - Revenues for the quarter were $2 billion, down 20.6% year-over-year and slightly below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.3% [1] Production & Selling Prices - Average production of oil and natural gas was 463,815 BOE/d, with 67% being liquids, a slight decrease of 0.8% from the previous year but above expectations of 447,998 BOE/d [4] - U.S. output fell 6.5% year-over-year to 281,145 BOE/d, while international production increased by 9.5% to 182,670 BOE/d [5] - Average realized crude oil price was $67.43 per barrel, down 13.6% from $78.06 a year ago but above the projected $57.10 [6] - Average realized natural gas price rose to $2.25 per thousand cubic feet from $1.43 in the previous year, missing the estimate of $2.06 [6] Costs & Financial Position - Lease operating expenses for Q3 totaled $376 million, down 10.1% from $418 million a year ago [9] - Total operating expenses decreased nearly 48% year-over-year to $1.5 billion, significantly lower than the model estimate [9] - APA generated $1.5 billion in operating cash flow and reported a free cash flow of $339 million, up from $219 million a year ago [10] - As of September 30, APA had approximately $475 million in cash and cash equivalents and $4.3 billion in long-term debt, resulting in a debt-to-capitalization ratio of 41.7% [11] Guidance - APA expects production to average 446,000 BOE/d in Q4 and 461,000 BOE/d for the full year 2025, representing a 1.4% year-over-year increase [12] - Oil volumes are projected to be 230,000 Bbl/d for Q4 and 234,000 Bbl/d for the full year [12] - The company has set its upstream capital expenditure for the year at around $2.34 billion [12]