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Occidental Petroleum Jumps As Earnings Beat And Oil Rally Drive OXY Higher

TIM BOHEN•UPDATED MAY. 17, 2026, 8:36 AM ET
Reviewed by Ben Sturgilland Fact-checked by Ellis Hobbs

Occidental Petroleum Corporation gained on bullish sentiment after a major oil discovery, as stocks have been trading up by 4.7 percent.

What Traders Need To Know

  • Q1 adjusted EPS of $1.06 crushed roughly $0.60–$0.64 expectations, even as $5.23B revenue fell short of the $5.55B consensus.
  • Management stressed cost cuts, efficiency gains, deleveraging, and portfolio resilience while Middle East issues pressure some international barrels.
  • Q2 2026 and full‑year 2026 production guidance of roughly 1,390–1,460 Mboed points to steady to modest growth.
  • Analyst views are split: Raymond James raised its target to $75 and remains bullish, while UBS and Truist trimmed targets and kept more cautious stances.
  • A 12% weekly gain in OXY on sector strength and rising US‑to‑China oil export hopes shows how macro tailwinds can quickly re‑rate the stock.

Candlestick Chart

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Weekly Update May 11 – May 15, 2026: On Sunday, May 17, 2026 Occidental Petroleum Corporation stock [NYSE: OXY] is trending up by 4.7%! Discover the key drivers behind this movement as well as our expert analysis in the detailed breakdown below.

Energy industry expert:

Analyst sentiment – positive

Occidental is a scale E&P with mid‑pack returns but improving fundamentals. EBIT margin near 20% and EBITDA margin above 50% are competitive versus large-cap peers, while net profit margin sub‑10% and ROE ~6–12% indicate only moderate capital efficiency. Leverage is now reasonable (total debt/equity 0.8x, interest cover ~11x), but liquidity is tight with a 0.9x current ratio. Key insights: revenue has been flat‑to‑down three years, free cash flow is currently negative, and valuation at ~15x earnings and ~2.0x book is full rather than distressed.

Technically, OXY is in a clear short‑term uptrend: last week’s range from about $55 to $59.6 shows consistent higher highs and higher lows, with a strong expansion day to $59.5 confirming renewed buying pressure. Intraday 5‑minute action has featured rising volume on up‑moves and lighter participation on pullbacks, supporting trend continuation. A specific actionable level is $56.50–57.00 as first support; above that, aggressive longs can target a break toward $62 with stops below $56.

More Breaking News

Recent earnings beat on EPS, production outperformance, and visible deleveraging position OXY ahead of most energy peers, which are more mixed on capital returns. Sector tailwinds from higher crude and potential incremental US exports to China further support cash generation versus broader Energy and Fossil Fuels benchmarks. Sell‑side targets cluster in the mid‑60s, with a bullish outlier at $75. I assign a 12‑month fair value of $65, with key support at $56 and major resistance at $64–65.

Quick Financial Overview

Occidental Petroleum Corporation just put up a classic “EPS beat, revenue miss” quarter. Adjusted earnings of $1.06 per share versus roughly $0.60–$0.64 expected reflect strong margin work on a $5.23B top line that lagged the $5.55B Street view. The latest income statement shows operating income of about $1.35B on $5.23B in revenue, backed by EBITDA of $2.63B, which fits with the solid EBIT margin profile in the key ratios.

On the balance sheet, OXY is still a leveraged name but not the stressed story it once was. Total debt to equity of 0.81 and interest coverage of 10.9 show the deleveraging progress that analysts like CFRA are now rewarding with upgrades. Cash of about $3.8B, working capital near $1.9B, and long‑term debt of roughly $15.2B give traders a clearer sense of the capital stack they are betting on when they trade the stock.

On the tape, the story has turned sharply higher. Weekly data show OXY climbing from about $55 to near $59.5 into 2026/05/15, with a strong push on the last bar as price jumped from the mid‑$56s to the high‑$59s. A 5‑minute candle showing an intraday surge from around $57.9 to $59.6 hints at aggressive buying, likely tied to the energy sector’s 6.8% weekly gain and the 12% move in Occidental Petroleum. With a P/E near 15 and price‑to‑sales around 2.96, the name is not cheap, but traders are clearly paying for leverage to oil and improving cash generation.

Conclusion

This is stock news, not investment advice. StocksToTrade News delivers real-time stock market updates tailored to highlight the key catalysts driving short-term price movements. Our coverage is designed for active traders and investors who thrive in fast-moving markets, with a focus on volatile sectors like penny stocks, AI stocks, Robinhood stocks and other momentum plays. From earnings reports and FDA approvals to mergers, new contracts, and unusual trading volume, we break down the events that can spark significant price action.

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