Berkshire Hathaway reveals $5 billion stake in oil large Occidental Petroleum

In his annual letter to shareholders launched lower than one week in the past, Warren Buffett complained he might “discover little that excites us” within the fairness markets.

Nevertheless a brand new SEC submitting from Friday evening revealed that somebody at Berkshire Hathaway, both Buffett himself or his portfolio managers, could be very enthusiastic about Occidental Petroleum.

As of Friday, Berkshire owns 91.2 million widespread shares of the oil large. They’re price $5.1 billion at tonight’s shut of $56.15. The inventory gained 18% right this moment and 45% this week.

It has been shifting sharply greater together with the value of oil, which has soared to round $115 barrel within the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

And as Occidental was rallying, Berkshire was shopping for.

Greater than 61 million of the shares now in its portfolio had been bought on Wednesday, Thursday, and right this moment, at costs starting from $47.07 to $56.45.

The opposite 29 million shares had been bought this yr on or earlier than Tuesday. (Berkshire reported holding no OXY shares as of December 31 in its newest 13F submitting.)

Berkshire didn’t reply Friday evening to CNBC’s request for remark. 

We do not know precisely when it purchased, or what Berkshire paid for these 29 million shares, as a result of it had not but hit the ten% possession stage that requires new purchases be disclosed inside day after they’re made.

Berkshire solely owns round 9% of Occidental’s widespread shares. Nevertheless it additionally has warrants to purchase one other 83.9 million shares at $59.62. 

Although the warrants haven’t been exercised, for the needs of the SEC submitting set off they need to be counted, technically placing Berkshire’s stake at greater than 17%.

Berkshire obtained these warrants as a part of a deal that included what was, in impact, a $10 billion mortgage in 2019 to Occidental to assist it purchase Anadarko for $38 billion.

The mortgage, within the type of Berkshire’s buy of most well-liked inventory, requires Occidental to pay a dividend of 8% a yr. That works out to $200 million every quarter.

On the time, Buffett advised CNBC it was a wager that oil costs would rise over the long run.

Berkshire purchased a comparatively small stake of just below 19 million shares within the second half of 2019. It was valued at round $780 million as of the top of that yr.

Within the shorter time period, Buffett wager on oil costs wasn’t doing very properly once they collapsed in early 2020 as a result of onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To preserve money, Occidental made its first and second quarter mortgage funds to Berkshire within the type of inventory. (It resumed money funds after that.)

Berkshire obtained 17.3 million shares for the primary quarter and 11.6 million shares for the second quarter.

However its 13F filings did not listing any OXY inventory in any respect as of June 30 and September 30 in 2020, indicating that amid the oil market carnage it had offered each the 19 million shares it purchased and the virtually 29 million shares that it obtained as dividend funds.

Now, with oil costs sturdy once more, it is again in Berkshire’s portfolio in a giant method.

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