Francis Chou's Strategic Move: Significant Increase in Occidental Petroleum Corp Holdings

Exploring the Investment Decisions of a Renowned Value Investor

Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio) recently submitted the 13F filing for the second quarter of 2025, providing insights into his investment moves during this period. Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio), the fund manager of Chou America Mutual Funds, has been managing the Chou Funds in Canada since 1986. Chou's experience is an amazing success story of value investing. He came to Canada in 1976 at age 20 with $200 in his pocket. Without a college degree, he could only work on blue collar jobs. Finally, he landed a job at Bell Canada as a telephone repairman. During that time, he was introduced to the books of Benjamin Graham. In 1981, together with six of his fellow telephone repairmen, Chou started an investment club with $51,000. He left Bell Canada in 1984 and became a retail analyst at GW Asset Management, where he met Prem Watsa (Trades, Portfolio), the future Fairfax CEO. He turned the investment club into the Chou Associates Fund in 1986, and the rest is history. When asked about what the most important things are for him in investing, Chou said: "Buy bargains. Get the returns slowly. Think independently. Don't be afraid of what other people are saying." The investment process followed in selecting equity investments for the Funds is a value-oriented approach that involves a detailed analysis of the strengths of individual companies, with much less emphasis on short-term market factors. Far greater importance is placed upon an assessment of a company's balance sheet, cash flow characteristics, profitability, industry position, special strengths, future growth potential and management ability.

Warning! GuruFocus has detected 5 Warning Sign with CR.Francis Chou's Strategic Move: Significant Increase in Occidental Petroleum Corp Holdings

Key Position Increases

Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio) also increased stakes in a total of 2 stocks, among them:

The most notable increase was Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY), with an additional 245,000 shares, bringing the total to 313,000 shares. This adjustment represents a significant 360.29% increase in share count, a 5.63% impact on the current portfolio, with a total value of $13,149,130. The second largest increase was Methanex Corp (NASDAQ:MEOH), with an additional 16,000 shares, bringing the total to 20,000. This adjustment represents a significant 400% increase in share count, with a total value of $662,240.

Summary of Sold Out

Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio) completely exited 1 of the holdings in the second quarter of 2025, as detailed below:

Liberty Global Ltd (NASDAQ:LBTYA): Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio) sold all 12,000 shares, resulting in a -0.08% impact on the portfolio.

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Key Position Reduces

Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio) also reduced positions in 2 stocks. The most significant changes include:

Reduced Stellantis NV (NYSE:STLA) by 704,388 shares, resulting in a -50.44% decrease in shares and a -4.34% impact on the portfolio. The stock traded at an average price of $9.88 during the quarter and has returned -11.13% over the past 3 months and -18.84% year-to-date. Reduced China Yuchai International Ltd (NYSE:CYD) by 50,000 shares, resulting in a -68.15% reduction in shares and a -0.47% impact on the portfolio. The stock traded at an average price of $17.54 during the quarter and has returned 66.95% over the past 3 months and 215.15% year-to-date.

Portfolio Overview

At the second quarter of 2025, Francis Chou (Trades, Portfolio)'s portfolio included 31 stocks, with top holdings including 34.28% in Berkshire Hathaway Inc (NYSE:BRK.A), 8.82% in Sirius XM Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:SIRI), 7.99% in Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG), 7.87% in Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF), and 7.19% in Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY).

The holdings are mainly concentrated in 7 of all the 11 industries: Financial Services, Communication Services, Consumer Cyclical, Energy, Technology, Industrials, and Basic Materials.Francis Chou's Strategic Move: Significant Increase in Occidental Petroleum Corp Holdings

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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