Crude Oil Plummets, While Buffett Keep Adding OXY, Why?

Along with the scorching summer heat, Buffett's enthusiasm for energy stocks has soared.

Warren Buffett has used the latest oil dip to add more OXY. Berkshire bought 9.9 million shares of Occidental Petroleum last week for $582 million, according to SEC filings. The total shareholding has climbed to 17.4%, about 60% higher than the second-largest shareholder Vanguard Group. 

In addition, Berkshire owns 100,000 Occidental preferred shares, valued at $10 billion, and warrants to acquire an additional 83.9 million shares for $5 billion. This also means that Berkshire's actual stake has far exceeded 20%.

Funds Holding $Occidental(OXY)$ Purchase History

With the recovery of the global economy, the world's strong demand for energy has reignited, the contradiction between supply and demand has become more prominent, and oil prices have also soared.

Berkshire Hathaway has purchased nearly 30 million shares of Occidental Petroleum since the end of 2021. Buffett started buying Occidentally after he spoke with the company's CEO on the company's earnings call in February.

The earnings of Occidental Petroleum in the first quarter of this year did not disappoint the stock market.

  • Net profit attributable to shareholders in the first quarter was $4.676 billion, hitting a record high, compared with a net loss of $346 million in the same period in 2021.
  • Occidental's net sales in the first quarter were $8.349 billion, soaring more than 50% year over year.
  • Free cash flow of $3.3 billion was also an all-time high.

Occidental has been the best-performing stock in the S&P 500 so far this year, with shares nearly doubling by strong earnings and other factors.

What is more noteworthy is that as Berkshire continues to increase its position in Oxy, the market is increasingly speculating that Buffett may intend to acquire all of them. Investment bank Truist Securities said in a report that Berkshire may acquire the entire stake in Occidental once its credit profile improves.

Why Energy Stocks?

At this year's shareholder meeting, Buffett was asked why he was so heavy on oil stocks.

Buffett said that the US government currently has a lot of strategic oil reserves, and now everyone may think that it is a good thing that the United States has so many oil reserves. "But if you think about it carefully, the current reserve is still not enough. It may be gone in three to five years. You don't know what will happen in three or five years."

These remarks have actually revealed the reason for being optimistic about energy stocks: the future energy will be very "scarce".

Crude oil prices tumbled 8%, will the falling channel open?

The slump in crude oil prices hit a new low for two consecutive months since the beginning of May.

Analysts from futures institutions believe that behind the sharp drop in oil prices, European and American continue to fall under high inflation pressure, and the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank are forced to initiate measures such as raising interest rates and shrinking their balance sheets, causing investors to worry about economic recession.

According to the research report of Hentai Futures, Looking forward to the trend of international oil prices in the second half of 2022, in the short term, it is difficult to accelerate the increase in production in major producing countries, and there is still some support for oil demand. The addition of short-term low inventories will support oil prices. At present, global crude oil and refined oil Inventories are at absolute low levels in recent years. From the perspective of inventory, the support of Brent oil at $90-95 per barrel is strong.

In the medium and long term, with the recovery of supply and the decline of demand growth, oil prices may fall under the rebalancing of supply and demand, but the speed and magnitude of the decline depends on political factors and the speed of the overseas tightening cycle.

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  • Bonta
    ·2022-07-07
    Adding on energy stocks. $CNOOC(00883)$ its a gd dividend player, backed by china govt. Have access to cheap russia oil, pivoting to offshore wind energy. Will add on by selling put options
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  • Cris0
    ·2022-07-07
    Energy stocks!! Now Singapore also having electricity price surge. So will focus on that instead
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  • RDPD富爸穷爸
    ·2022-07-07
    Personally I'm not keen on energy stocks for my investment portfolio unless there's a great deal on the pipeline, maybe a catastrophic event which is too good to ignore 😊
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  • highhand
    ·2022-07-07
    no energy to focus on energy stocks. everyday work until tired.  nighttime turn on Tiger app, eyes want to close and the red color numbers makes me sleepy. maybe a Redbull energy drink will help.
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  • DiAngel
    ·2022-07-07
    Not into energy industry hence will not invest into anything that i m unfamiliar with. It doesnt serve any purposes of blindly following others as you have no clue when to buy or to sell.
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  • koolgal
    ·2022-07-08

    Warren Buffett is an astute investor who has an uncanny sense of buying quality stocks below its intrinsic value.  I believe that's what he is doing by buying up more Occidental Petroleum 's shares recently. 

    I also believe that the current drop in oil stock prices  is a golden opportunity to buy more.  With the ongoing war in Ukraine and the ban of Russian oil, the demand for oil will far exceed its supply.

    Therefore I will stay vested in $Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund(XLE)$  as my defensive play and hedge against high inflation.

    @MillionaireTiger  @TigerStars  @CaptainTiger  

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    • koolgalReplying toBenly8
      Thanks for sharing
      2022-07-10
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    • koolgalReplying toHappy Bear
      Thanks for sharing
      2022-07-10
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    • koolgalReplying toHappy Bear
      Have a lovely long weekend 😍😍😍
      2022-07-10
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  • koolgal
    ·2022-07-08

    Even though Crude Oil prices plummeted recently on recessionary fears, there is still an underlying shortage of supply.  This is the key reason why Warren Buffett has been on a buying spree of$Occidental(OXY)$  .

    The current demand for oil far exceeds supply as more people take to the skies due to pent up demand from previous Covid-19 lockdowns.    Coupled with the ongoing Ukraine war and the ban by US and its allies on Russian oil, the price of oil will continue to increase.  Currently the US is in talks with its allies at capping of price of Russian oil.  But there is also fear that Russia may retaliate by cutting off its supply to Europe prematurely. Should that happen, the price of oil will skyrocket. 

    Geopolitical tensions and war have a profound impact on oil prices.  Until the war in Ukraine is resolved and the ban on Russian oil lifted by US and its allies, I  will stay invested in $Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund(XLE)$  . 

    @MillionaireTiger  @TigerStars  @CaptainTiger  

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    • koolgalReplying toBYZX
      Thanks
      2022-07-09
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    • koolgalReplying toKevYu
      Thanks
      2022-07-09
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    • BYZX
      Ok
      2022-07-09
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  • Aqa
    ·2022-07-10
    Buffett’s $5 billion investment in OXY shows a very clear and strong bet on oil rising. He battled to win over OXY & held on when oil price went down during the pandemic. Not just anybody can do that.
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  • Fenger1188
    ·2022-07-10
    在国际油价动荡上行之际,巴菲特继续买入油气巨头$西方石油(OXY)$公司。今年以来,能源股是巴菲特当之无愧的“心头好”。除去西方石油公司外,石油巨头$雪佛龙(CVX)$亦是是巴菲特大举加仓的标的。从巴菲特增持西方石油的紧凑节奏上来看,“股神”似乎有点怕错过的意思!如果这次巴菲特赌对了,美国会变如何真不敢想!不过他看好的绝大多数是优质的好股。我也会开始买入西方石油作为长期投资[财迷][财迷][财迷]
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  • tradelaggard
    ·2022-07-08
    will focus on sustainable energy not just energy because I want to invest for the future and not contribute to climate change
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    • Mib1515
      Ok
      2022-07-08
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  • Ah_Meng
    ·2022-07-09
    Oil and gas is here to stay, no matter what the doomsayers say, at least in the short and middle term. Renewables are not going to fly overnight. Warren Buffet smells an opportunity, that is all...
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  • LesterTan
    ·2022-07-09
    I don’t buy oil stocks, control by cartel. Difficult to trade
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    • mmcjb92
      6
      2022-07-09
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  • Yckit2000
    ·2022-07-09
    Oil compaies are of course very profitable now due to high oil price but it's not sustainable. The focus should be on renewable energy.
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  • Big Cat
    ·2022-07-09
    I also has not idea why he keeps adding oil [Grin].
    I think is because oil 🛢 supplies are low & the demand of oil is high. Even interest rate hike, it will not stop the price increase as it's a need
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    • Big Cat
      I won't focus on oil sectors but energy sectors, maybe [Thinking]. Because it's the famous trend right now, all about renewable energy [Sly].
      2022-07-09
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  • Humbly
    ·2022-07-09
    IMHO,.the current oil price decline is due more to the Covid lock down in China than to the Fed rate hikes. Once China's economy restarts, oil price will go up and now is a good opportunity to buy
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  • Furore
    ·2022-07-17
    Renewable energy stocks such as solar should be a safe bet for long term
    Oil stocks won't last, there's a limit to how much oil that can be extracted
    If not, Musk won't be the richest man in the world
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  • phongy 45
    ·2022-07-09
    in a way, good news  oil and gas coming down, hope will help cost of living and better life stop the current war at Ukraine. come back to negotiate a better options and peaceful ending too .good luck
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  • wingcheong
    ·2022-07-09
    That's just Mr Buffett's style of investing. 
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  • Samlunch
    ·2022-07-08
    I buy $United States Oil Fund(USO)$ directly for equal weight exposure to oil prices. Can also consider $Natural Gas(NGS)$ for natural gas upside exposure
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  • JLC1982
    ·2022-07-08
    i  will sell
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    • stormlee
      [Smug]pls like TQ
      2022-07-09
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