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Investing.com -- Occidental Petroleum has received upgrades from HSBC and Mizuho after agreeing to sell its OxyChem unit to Berkshire Hathaway for $9.7 billion in cash, a move analysts say strengthens the balance sheet and accelerates shareholder returns.
HSBC lifted its rating on OXY to Buy from Hold and raised its price target to $55 from $48, citing the sale’s role in accelerating debt reduction and paving the way for buybacks.
“After-tax proceeds of USD6.5bn is earmarked for accelerated debt retirement, with Oxy to achieve its USD15bn gross debt target for resuming share repurchases ahead of the 2029e time frame,” HSBC said.
The bank forecast OXY could restart buybacks in 2026, retiring about 10% of shares outstanding while maintaining its dividend. HSBC added that aligning Oil & Gas with Midstream could “unlock value through CO2 and Power,” highlighting expansion in enhanced oil recovery and carbon capture technologies.
Mizuho also upgraded OXY, raising its rating to Outperform from Neutral and increasing its price target to $60. The bank said the divestiture “unfetters the balance sheet – our key concern on the investment case – giving OXY financial flexibility to focus on its core Oil & Gas business.”
Mizuho noted that proceeds will reduce net debt-to-EBITDA by about 0.5x, bringing leverage in line with peers. The firm pointed to OXY’s “one of the best portfolios of U.S. onshore reserves in terms of both inventory quality [and] depth,” as a core strength going forward.
Both banks acknowledged risks, including retained environmental liabilities and preferred equity redemption commitments, but said the recent correction in OXY shares presents a compelling entry point.