What Makes Occidental Petroleum (OXY) a Strong Momentum Stock: Buy Now?

Momentum investing is all about the idea of following a stock's recent trend, which can be in either direction. In the "long context," investors will essentially be "buying high, but hoping to sell even higher." And for investors following this methodology, taking advantage of trends in a stock's price is key; once a stock establishes a course, it is more than likely to continue moving in that direction. The goal is that once a stock heads down a fixed path, it will lead to timely and profitable trades.Even though momentum is a popular stock characteristic, it can be tough to define. Debate surrounding which are the best and worst metrics to focus on is lengthy, but the Zacks Momentum Style Score, part of the Zacks Style Scores, helps address this issue for us.Below, we take a look at Occidental Petroleum (OXY), which currently has a Momentum Style Score of B. We also discuss some of the main drivers of the Momentum Style Score, like price change and earnings estimate revisions.It's also important to note that Style Scores work as a complement to the Zacks Rank, our stock rating system that has an impressive track record of outperformance. Occidental Petroleum currently has a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy). Our research shows that stocks rated Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and #2 (Buy) and Style Scores of "A or B" outperform the market over the following one-month period.You can see the current list of Zacks #1 Rank Stocks here >>> Set to Beat the Market?Let's discuss some of the components of the Momentum Style Score for OXY that show why this oil and gas exploration and production company shows promise as a solid momentum pick.A good momentum benchmark for a stock is to look at its short-term price activity, as this can reflect both current interest and if buyers or sellers currently have the upper hand. It is also useful to compare a security to its industry, as this can help investors pinpoint the top companies in a particular area.For OXY, shares are up 12.43% over the past week while the Zacks Oil and Gas - Integrated - United States industry is up 3.7% over the same time period. Shares are looking quite well from a longer time frame too, as the monthly price change of 9.58% compares favorably with the industry's 6.26% performance as well.While any stock can see a spike in price, it takes a real winner to consistently outperform the market. Over the past quarter, shares of Occidental Petroleum have risen 13.87%, and are up 41.1% in the last year. In comparison, the S&P 500 has only moved 7.88% and 25.61%, respectively.Investors should also take note of OXY's average 20-day trading volume. Volume is a useful item in many ways, and the 20-day average establishes a good price-to-volume baseline; a rising stock with above average volume is generally a bullish sign, whereas a declining stock on above average volume is typically bearish. Right now OXY is averaging 12,204,926 shares for the last 20 days..Earnings OutlookThe Zacks Momentum Style Score also takes into account trends in estimate revisions, in addition to price changes. Please note that estimate revision trends remain at the core of Zacks Rank as well. A nice path here can help show promise, and we have recently been seeing that with OXY.Over the past two months, 7 earnings estimates moved higher compared to none lower for the full year. These revisions helped boost OXY's consensus estimate, increasing from $1.76 to $5.14 in the past 60 days. Looking at the next fiscal year, 6 estimates have moved upwards while there have been no downward revisions in the same time period.Bottom LineTaking into account all of these elements, it should come as no surprise that OXY is a #1 (Strong Buy) stock with a Momentum Score of B. If you've been searching for a fresh pick that's set to rise in the near-term, make sure to keep Occidental Petroleum on your short list.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.See Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks