The last three quarters have been misses for Apache (APA +2.56%), so investors will have their eyes and ears open on Thursday when the company releases its fourth-quarter 2012 results. Over the last few years, shareholders have seen the value of their investment in Apache erode as the company has heavily concentrated its efforts on acquisitions. The majority of these have yet to bear fruit, but that could be set to change.
As a result, the company is trading at a steep discount to peers like EOG Resources (EOG +0.42%) and Anadarko Petroleum (APC +0.00%). With very little to be overly excited about from the last quarter, Fool energy analyst Taylor Muckerman doesn't expect anything better than Apache meeting expectations. As for the long term? Tune into the video below.
