Oxy Slides to 258th in U.S. Trading Volume Amid Permian EOR Breakthroughs and High-Volume Strategy's 166% Surge

On August 11, 2025, Occidental Petroleum (OXY) traded with a 1.38% decline, marking a drop in trading volume to $390 million—a 33.92% decrease from the prior day. The stock ranked 258th in trading activity among equities listed on U.S. exchanges, reflecting reduced short-term market participation.

Positive developments in Occidental’s enhanced oil recovery (EOR) initiatives in the Permian Basin have emerged as a key catalyst. Early-stage CO2 flood tests for EOR projects have exceeded internal expectations, signaling potential for extended production life in the region. The company is preparing to advance a full-scale EOR project in the Delaware Basin once CO2 supply logistics are secured. This progress underscores Occidental’s strategic focus on leveraging carbon capture and utilization to enhance long-term resource viability.

The strategy of purchasing the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day delivered a 166.71% return from 2022 to the present, outperforming the benchmark return of 29.18% by 137.53%. This underscores the role of liquidity concentration in short-term stock performance, particularly in volatile markets. High-volume stocks, including those with significant institutional interest, tend to exhibit amplified price movements, aligning with the observed outperformance of such strategies in dynamic trading environments.