Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Boosts Occidental Petroleum Stake to Almost 29%

Shares of Occidental Petroleum (OXY) edged higher Tuesday as Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A, BRK.B) bought up even more of the stock, boosting its stake in the energy firm to almost 29%.

Berkshire Hathaway purchased shares every trading day from June 5 to June 17, increasing its ownership by 7.3 million shares, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings show. The prices paid ranged from $59.58 to $60.43 each.

Berkshire’s Stake Could Pass 40%, But Buffett Says He’s Not Looking To Take Control

With the latest buy, Berkshire has about 255.3 million shares in Occidental Petroleum, bringing Berkshire’s stake to 28.8%. Occidental Petroleum is Berkshire’s sixth-largest holding.

Berkshire also has warrants to buy 83.9 million more Occidental Petroleum shares at $59.62 apiece, and owns 84,897 shares of preferred stock. A full redemption could bring Berkshire’s ownership above 40%, though Buffett has previously said he wouldn’t take control of the company.

Buffett reportedly said in a CNBC interview that he began investing in the company after he read the transcript of one of its earnings reports and said “this is exactly what I would be doing.”

Shares of Occidental Petroleum finished 1.8% higher at $61.26 Tuesday. The stock has gained about 2.6% since the start of the year.