Occidental Petroleum Stock Edges Higher Before Earnings

The company will report fourth-quarter earnings after the close on Thursday, Feb. 15

Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY) is set to report fourth-quarter earnings after the close on Thursday, Feb. 15. The equity was last seen up 1.1% to trade at $58.09 at last check, but is still under the 60-day moving average, despite a brief foray above the trendline in December. Shares are down 11.6% in the last 12 months, and also carry a slim year-to-date deficit.

OXY 60 Day 2As far as as post-earnings reactions are concerned, OXY’s history is less than stellar. The stock finished five of the past eight next-day sessions lower, including an 9.2% dip in November 2022. Shares averaged a move of 3% in the past two years, regardless of direction, but the options pits are pricing in a larger-than-usual swing of 4.5% this time. 

Options traders lean overwhelmingly bullish. This is per the stock’s 10-day call/put volume ratio of 4.82 over at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX) that sits higher than all but 4% of readings from the past year. 

Analysts are skeptical, with 12 of the 19 firms in coverage calling OXY a tepid “hold” or worse, while the average 12-month target price of $66.84 is a 14.8% premium to current levels. It’s also worth noting the 52.11 million shares sold short makes up 8.3% of the stock’s available float.

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