Occidental Petroleum Shares Surge 22.5% Amid Oil Price Spike
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 hours ago
0mins
Should l Buy OXY?
Source: Fool
- Oil Price Surge Impact: Occidental Petroleum (OXY) benefited significantly from a more than 50% spike in oil prices in March due to the Iran war, resulting in a 22.5% increase in its stock price, indicating enhanced profitability in a high oil price environment.
- Capital Expenditure Adjustment: Occidental reduced its capital spending in the Permian Basin from $3.9 billion to $3.1 billion while maintaining output, and this focus on efficiency has driven optimism about future capital returns and debt repayment capabilities.
- Debt Repayment Potential: After acquiring Anadarko Petroleum in 2019, Occidental took on $20.4 billion in debt, but through the sale of its chemicals business and rising oil prices, it could repay a significant portion of this debt if prices remain above $100, thereby improving its financial health.
- Positive Market Outlook: Analyst upgrades reflect confidence in Occidental's profitability and cash flow improvement in a high oil price environment, suggesting that the current stock price may be undervalued if elevated oil prices persist.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy OXY?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on OXY
Wall Street analysts forecast OXY stock price to fall
16 Analyst Rating
4 Buy
9 Hold
3 Sell
Hold
Current: 62.960
Low
38.00
Averages
47.27
High
64.00
Current: 62.960
Low
38.00
Averages
47.27
High
64.00
About OXY
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is an international energy company with assets primarily in the United States, the Middle East and North Africa. The Company is an oil and gas producer in the United States, including a producer in the Permian and DJ basins, and the offshore Gulf of Mexico. Its segments include oil and gas, and midstream and marketing. The oil and gas segment explores for, develops, and produces oil (which includes condensate), natural gas liquids (NGL) and natural gas. The Company's midstream and marketing segment purchases, markets, gathers, processes, transports, and stores oil (which includes condensate), NGL, natural gas, carbon dioxide (CO2) and power. The midstream and marketing segment provides flow assurance and maximizes the value of its oil and gas. It also optimizes its transportation and storage capacity and invests in entities that conduct similar activities. This segment also includes low-carbon venture businesses.
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.
- Market Decline: The S&P 500 Index fell by 0.90%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped by 0.76%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index decreased by 1.40%, reflecting investor concerns over geopolitical tensions, particularly the potential escalation of conflict between Iran and the US.
- Oil Price Surge: Crude oil prices rose over 3% to a four-week high as the market watches for Iran's response to a ceasefire deadline tonight, with failure to reach an agreement potentially leading to broader military conflict and impacting global energy supplies.
- Positive Economic Data: Despite the overall market downturn, February's non-defense capital goods new orders increased by 0.6% month-over-month, surpassing expectations of 0.5%, indicating resilience in US capital spending that could support future market stability.
- Bond Market Reaction: The 10-year Treasury note yield rose to 4.357% as rising oil prices boosted inflation expectations, while the market's diminished outlook for a Fed rate hike reflects investor caution regarding future economic policies.
See More
- Oil Price Surge Impact: Occidental Petroleum (OXY) benefited significantly from a more than 50% spike in oil prices in March due to the Iran war, resulting in a 22.5% increase in its stock price, indicating enhanced profitability in a high oil price environment.
- Capital Expenditure Adjustment: Occidental reduced its capital spending in the Permian Basin from $3.9 billion to $3.1 billion while maintaining output, and this focus on efficiency has driven optimism about future capital returns and debt repayment capabilities.
- Debt Repayment Potential: After acquiring Anadarko Petroleum in 2019, Occidental took on $20.4 billion in debt, but through the sale of its chemicals business and rising oil prices, it could repay a significant portion of this debt if prices remain above $100, thereby improving its financial health.
- Positive Market Outlook: Analyst upgrades reflect confidence in Occidental's profitability and cash flow improvement in a high oil price environment, suggesting that the current stock price may be undervalued if elevated oil prices persist.
See More
- AI Chip Supply Agreement: Broadcom has entered into an agreement to supply AI chips to Google and signed an expanded deal with Anthropic to provide approximately 3.5 gigawatts of computing capacity, which is expected to significantly enhance Google's competitive edge in the AI sector.
- Stock Price Reaction: Broadcom shares rose by 3%, while Alphabet's shares increased slightly by 0.2%, reflecting the market's positive outlook on the collaboration and its potential to drive future technological innovations and market share growth.
- S&P 500 Component Change: Casey's General Stores will replace Hologic in the S&P 500 prior to Thursday's open, with Casey's shares rising about 1%, while Hologic's shares were halted due to the completion of its acquisition by Blackstone and TPG Global, indicating increased market confidence in Casey's.
- Medicare Payment Increase: Healthcare stocks surged as the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services finalized a payment increase for privately run Medicare Advantage plans, with Humana's shares soaring nearly 10%, UnitedHealth rising 6%, and CVS Health advancing nearly 7%, signaling optimistic sentiment towards the healthcare insurance sector.
See More
- Trump's Tough Stance: President Trump stated in a press conference that he might attack Iran's energy and transportation infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by Tuesday night, intensifying market uncertainty surrounding geopolitical tensions.
- Iran's Ceasefire Proposal: Although the U.S. has received Iran's latest ceasefire proposal, Trump described it as 'not good enough,' indicating significant divisions remain in negotiations that could impact future diplomatic efforts.
- Oil Price Surge: Oil prices continued to rise amid these developments, with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz gradually resuming as eight tankers transited on Monday, up from an average of fewer than two per day in March, yet still a fraction of the 20 million barrels per day seen in 2025.
- Market Volatility: Asia-Pacific markets experienced volatile trading on Tuesday, with major indexes flipping to losses in the morning session, reflecting investor concerns over geopolitical developments, while U.S. futures indicated a mixed opening ahead.
See More
- Oil Price Surge: Oil prices rose as U.S. President Trump threatened to attack Iran's infrastructure, with West Texas Intermediate crude futures increasing by 0.93% to $113.46 per barrel, reflecting market sensitivity to geopolitical tensions.
- Strait of Hormuz Situation: Trump reiterated that the U.S. would destroy Iran's power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened by the deadline, intensifying market concerns over supply disruptions and driving prices higher.
- Negotiation Dynamics: Despite Trump's pressure, Iran proposed a 10-point plan to end hostilities, including a permanent ceasefire and lifting sanctions, indicating the complexity and uncertainty of negotiations that could impact future energy supplies.
- Shipping Resumption: Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is slowly resuming, with 8 tankers transiting on Monday, although this remains significantly below the pre-war average of 20 million barrels per day in 2025, indicating ongoing adjustments to supply shocks in the market.
See More
- Escalating Threats: Trump reiterated threats against Iran, demanding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. ET Tuesday or face attacks on its infrastructure, potentially increasing market uncertainty.
- Cautious Market Response: Despite Trump's threats causing a slight rise in oil prices, the S&P 500 rose for the fourth consecutive day as investors weighed the possibility of de-escalation, indicating cautious optimism in the market.
- AI Momentum: Broadcom's expanded chip partnership with Google and Anthropic underscores strong demand for AI infrastructure, becoming a key market driver that may influence the performance of related tech stocks.
- Field Observation Report: Citrini Research sent an analyst to the Strait of Hormuz, discovering that despite tensions, around 15 ships are still passing daily, suggesting that the critical oil artery's transport activity is not completely halted, which could affect market expectations for oil prices.
See More











