Stock Traders Purchase Large Volume of Occidental Petroleum Call Options (NYSE:OXY)

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:OXY) was the target of unusually large options trading activity on Friday. Investors purchased 120,397 call options on the stock. This is an increase of approximately 96% compared to the average daily volume of 61,466 call options.

Occidental Petroleum Stock Up 1.4%

OXY stock traded up $0.74 during trading on Friday, reaching $53.98. 27,630,305 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 13,588,402. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.77 and a 200 day simple moving average of $44.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.74 and a current ratio of 0.94. Occidental Petroleum has a 12 month low of $34.78 and a 12 month high of $56.34. The company has a market capitalization of $53.24 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.53 and a beta of 0.34.

Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.31 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.18 by $0.13. Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 9.14% and a return on equity of 9.89%. The company had revenue of $5.11 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. Occidental Petroleum’s revenue for the quarter was down 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Occidental Petroleum will post 3.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Occidental Petroleum Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, March 10th. This is a positive change from Occidental Petroleum’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.24. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Occidental Petroleum’s payout ratio is presently 59.63%.

Insider Activity at Occidental Petroleum

In other Occidental Petroleum news, Director William R. Klesse bought 5,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 16th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $38.98 per share, with a total value of $194,900.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 218,913 shares in the company, valued at $8,533,228.74. This represents a 2.34% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Occidental Petroleum

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of OXY. Caitlin John LLC purchased a new position in shares of Occidental Petroleum during the 4th quarter valued at about $29,000. Activest Wealth Management raised its position in Occidental Petroleum by 68.5% during the fourth quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 750 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Rossby Financial LCC raised its position in Occidental Petroleum by 155.0% during the fourth quarter. Rossby Financial LCC now owns 765 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. City Holding Co. boosted its position in Occidental Petroleum by 250.0% in the 3rd quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 700 shares of the oil and gas producer’s stock worth $33,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Binnacle Investments Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Occidental Petroleum during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 88.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Occidental Petroleum News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Occidental Petroleum this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical supply risk: Shares are getting a boost from Middle East conflict concerns and reports of an Iranian tanker strike near Kuwait, which is lifting oil prices and benefiting producers like Occidental. Occidental Petroleum Stock Rises Amid Middle East Conflict Concerns
• Positive Sentiment: Commodity-driven rally: Rising oil prices were the primary driver of a big February gain for OXY, amplifying earnings and cash-flow expectations for this upstream-focused producer. Why Occidental Petroleum Stock Rocketed Nearly 17% in February
• Positive Sentiment: Debt reduction moves: Occidental announced early tender results and increased the cap on several cash tender offers for senior notes (upsized aggregate cap to $1.2B), a move that can shorten maturities and improve leverage metrics if accepted. That supports the stock by signaling active balance‑sheet management. Occidental Announces Early Tender Results and Upsize in Cash Tender Offers and Consent Solicitations
• Positive Sentiment: Deal terms disclosed: Occidental also disclosed the total consideration for its related cash tender offers and consent solicitations — important detail for creditors and investors assessing the cost and impact of the recapitalization. Occidental Announces Total Consideration for its Cash Tender Offers and Consent Solicitations
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst updates: UBS and Piper Sandler recently raised price targets (UBS to $55, Piper Sandler to $54) — these lifts provide short-term technical support and validate improved outlooks tied to higher oil and company actions. Analyst Price Target Raises
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic tailwinds and investor backing: Coverage highlights (MarketBeat / 247WallSt) note Oxy’s refocus on upstream after the OxyChem sale and the confidence implied by Warren Buffett’s large stake — factors that reduce perceived structural risk and magnify upside on higher oil. Warren Buffett’s Oil Bet Looks Genius, Here Is What to Buy Next
• Neutral Sentiment: Market attention: Zacks flags increased investor attention to OXY — higher search/interest can amplify volatility but doesn’t on its own change fundamentals. Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) is Attracting Investor Attention
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro scenario piece: Coverage on which energy dividends to own if oil hits $100 is background context — useful for long-term positioning but not an immediate catalyst. If Oil Hits $100 These Are the Energy Dividends You Want to Own

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

OXY has been the topic of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Occidental Petroleum from $43.00 to $41.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Susquehanna raised their target price on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $51.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a “positive” rating in a research report on Friday, February 20th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price target on Occidental Petroleum from $49.00 to $45.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 19th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twelve have issued a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Occidental Petroleum currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $51.24.

About Occidental Petroleum

Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) is an international energy company engaged primarily in the exploration, production and marketing of oil and natural gas. The company conducts upstream activities to discover and produce hydrocarbons and operates complementary midstream and marketing functions to transport and sell its production. Occidental also owns a chemicals business that manufactures and sells industrial chemicals and related products for a range of end markets.

Occidental’s operations are concentrated in the United States, with a significant presence in the Permian Basin, and it maintains exploration and production activities in several international regions, including parts of the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.