No. of Recommendations: 2
One of Warren Buffett’s favorite CEOs, Occidental
Petroleum’s Vicki Hollub, hasn’t delivered for investors.
Since Hollub, 65, became CEO in April 2016, Occidental stock has been in the bottom 10 stocks among the 50 in the S&P oil and gas exploration and production index.
Over that span, Occidental shares have had a negative 20% total return (including reinvested dividends) as the stock has fallen to $45 from $76. The Energy Select Sector SPDR (dominated by industry leaders Exxon Mobil
XOM
0.00%
and Chevron) has returned over 90% since then while Occidental rivals like Diamondback Energy
FANG
-0.82%
and EOG Resources
EOG
-0.68%
are up sharply with Diamondback returning over 100%.
Buffett has praised Hollub, calling her an “extraordinary manager” at the Berkshire 2023 annual meeting. Berkshire holds a 26% equity stake in the energy company that it began accumulating in 2022. That interest, now worth around $12 billion, hasn’t been a winner for Berkshire with Barron’s estimating its cost in the low $50s per share.
