second-quarter 2026
Filed Aug 5, 2026APA Corporation announces second-quarter 2026 financial and operational results
APA reported production and U.S. oil production above guidance, generated $738 million of free cash flow, reduced debt, increased its cost-savings target, and raised full-year U.S. oil production guidance while maintaining U.S. capital at $1.3 billion.
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net income attributable to common stockGAAP | $747 million | – | – |
| Diluted earnings per shareGAAP | $2.11 per diluted share | – | – |
| Adjusted earningsnon-GAAP | $669 million | – | – |
| Adjusted diluted earnings per sharenon-GAAP | $1.89 per diluted share | – | – |
| Reported productionother | 410,000 BOE per day | – | – |
| Adjusted productionother | 347,000 BOE per day | – | – |
| U.S. oil productionother | 123,500 barrels of oil per day | – | – |
| Egypt adjusted productionother | 61,000 BOE per day | – | – |
| Egypt gross productionother | 207,000 BOE per day | – | – |
| Egypt gross gas productionother | 539 million cubic feet (MMCF) per day | – | – |
| Net cash provided by operating activitiesGAAP | $1.7 billion | – | – |
| Adjusted EBITDAXnon-GAAP | $1.8 billion | – | – |
| Upstream capital investmentnon-GAAP | $546 million | – | – |
| Lease operating expenseother | $353 million | – | – |
| Free cash flownon-GAAP | $738 million | – | – |
| First-half free cash flow generationnon-GAAP | $1.2 billion | – | – |
| Net debtnon-GAAP | $3.3 billion | – | – |
full-year 2026 outlook
- NoteU.S. oil production: 123,000 barrels of oil per day
- NoteU.S. capital: $1.3 billion
- NoteTotal company upstream capital investment: $2.07 billion
- NoteLease operating expenses: $1.5 billion
- NoteExpected 2026 exit run-rate cost savings: approximately $500 million
- NoteReturn at least 60% of free cash flow to shareholders in 2026
Capital returns
- Returned $189 million to shareholders during the second quarter through dividends and share repurchases.
- Repurchased 2.8 million shares at an average price of $35.26 per share.
- Cumulative returns to shareholders during the first half of the year totaled $277 million.
- Expects to return at least 60% of free cash flow to shareholders in 2026.
What drove it
- U.S. oil production was 2,500 barrels of oil per day above guidance, reflecting drilling and completion efficiency gains and strong base production performance in the Permian Basin.
- Egypt adjusted production was in line with guidance, while gross gas production increased to 539 million cubic feet (MMCF) per day, supported by the gas-focused development program.
- Nearly half of Egypt's gas production is now benefiting from the revised pricing agreement.
- Upstream capital investment and lease operating expense were both below guidance.
- Expected 2026 exit run-rate cost savings increased to approximately $500 million from the prior $450 million target, driven by field-level operating efficiencies, well cost reductions, and corporate streamlining.
- APA signed an agreement with Eni S.p.A for offshore Block 6 in Uruguay; APA will retain a 60% working interest, with Eni funding most of the initial exploration well planned for 2027.
Concerns
- The filing does not report revenue, gross margin, operating income, total cash, or total debt.
- The Savant Alaska acquisition remains pending, subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
- Closing of the Savant acquisition is expected by year-end 2026.
- Total company upstream capital guidance of $2.07 billion reflects slightly lower exploration spend due to a shift in timing of Suriname Block 58 exploration activity.
What to watch
- Delivery of full-year U.S. oil production guidance of 123,000 barrels of oil per day while maintaining U.S. capital at $1.3 billion.
- Progress toward approximately $500 million of expected 2026 exit run-rate cost savings.
- Lease operating expenses against the lowered full-year guidance of $1.5 billion.
- Debt reduction and the stated objective to return at least 60% of free cash flow to shareholders in 2026.
- Regulatory approval and expected year-end 2026 closing of the Savant Alaska acquisition.
- Planning for the initial Uruguay exploration well in 2027.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Generated $1.7 billion of net cash provided by operating activities.
- Generated $738 million of free cash flow.
- Repaid $752 million of near-term bond debt during the first half of 2026, including $673 million in the second quarter.
- Total debt has declined by $2.3 billion since year-end 2024.
- Annualized interest expense has been lowered by more than $155 million.
- Net debt was $3.3 billion at the end of the second quarter.
Analysis
APA reported $747 million of net income attributable to common stock, or $2.11 per diluted share, and $669 million of adjusted earnings, or $1.89 per diluted share. Operational delivery was above management's guidance: reported production was 410,000 BOE per day, adjusted production was 347,000 BOE per day, and U.S. oil production was 123,500 barrels of oil per day, 2,500 barrels of oil per day above guidance. Egypt adjusted production was 61,000 BOE per day and in line with guidance.
Cash generation was substantial in the reported period. Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.7 billion, adjusted EBITDAX was $1.8 billion, and free cash flow was $738 million. Free cash flow generation reached $1.2 billion for the first half of the year. Upstream capital investment of $546 million and lease operating expense of $353 million were both below guidance, consistent with management's emphasis on improved capital efficiency and lower costs.
Balance-sheet activity continued to be a central use of cash. APA repaid $752 million of near-term bond debt in the first half, including $673 million in the second quarter. The company stated that total debt has declined by $2.3 billion since year-end 2024 and that annualized interest expense has fallen by more than $155 million. Net debt was $3.3 billion at the end of the second quarter. APA also returned $189 million to shareholders through dividends and repurchases, including 2.8 million shares repurchased at an average price of $35.26 per share.
The outlook update combines stronger U.S. oil expectations with capital discipline. APA raised full-year U.S. oil production guidance to 123,000 barrels of oil per day while maintaining U.S. capital at $1.3 billion. It expects total company upstream capital investment of $2.07 billion and lowered lease operating expense guidance by $25 million to $1.5 billion. Management also increased expected 2026 exit run-rate savings to approximately $500 million from the prior $450 million target.
The company is pairing base-business execution with exploration portfolio activity. The pending Savant Alaska acquisition has $70 million of upfront consideration prior to customary closing adjustments, plus contingent payments, and is expected to close by year-end 2026. In Uruguay, APA will retain a 60% working interest in offshore Block 6 under its agreement with Eni S.p.A, with Eni funding most of the initial exploration well planned for 2027. The filing provides no reported revenue, commodity-price realization, margin, or total-debt figure, limiting direct assessment of financial mix and leverage beyond the stated net-debt and debt-reduction disclosures.
Management, verbatim
We delivered a very strong second quarter, with excellent operational execution across our core assets.
John J. Christmann IV, APA’s CEO
We’re sustaining top-tier operational performance and driving stronger production, lower costs and lower capital intensity.
John J. Christmann IV, APA’s CEO
We continued to advance one of the industry's most differentiated exploration portfolios.
John J. Christmann IV, APA’s CEO
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Period-end date.
- Total revenue.
- Revenue by operating segment or geography.
- Prior-year and prior-quarter comparisons for reported financial and operating metrics.
- Gross profit and gross margin.
- Operating income and operating margin.
- Income tax expense and tax rate.
- Cash balance.
- Total debt balance.
- GAAP free cash flow.
- Dividend amount and dividend per share.
- Commodity prices, realized prices, and hedging results.
- Detailed reconciliation tables for adjusted earnings, adjusted EBITDAX, upstream capital investment, net debt, and free cash flow.
- Prior outlook section for formal actual-versus-prior-guidance comparison.
AlphaAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.