Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) is an oil stock worth owning on its own merits. But a fresh report that Exxon Mobil (XOM) could acquire the Club holding would likely unlock even more value. Exxon has held “informal” talks about buying Pioneer, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. Any potential deal would not transpire until later this year or in 2024, the Journal reported. Exxon — which generated $62 billion in free cash flow in 2022 and ended the year with nearly $30 billion in cash — has held acquisition discussions with at least one other oil-and-gas firm, according to the Journal. Pioneer shares jumped more than 6% Monday, to around $221 each — making it by far the best-performing energy stock in the S & P 500 . Shares of Exxon fell by by 0.25%, to just under $115 apiece. Pioneer and Exxon did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment Monday. Exxon’s reported interest in Pioneer is hardly a surprise because the Texas shale driller is a “marquee” independent exploration-and-production company in the lower 48 states, Stifel analyst Derrick Whitfield told the CNBC Monday. If Exxon wants to meaningfully bolster its rig count in the Permian Basin, it’s “going to need quality depth of inventory,” which Pioneer has, Whitfield said. The analyst, who has a buy rating and $286 per share price target on PXD, said the likelihood of a Pioneer-Exxon deal comes down to how much Exxon is willing to pay. “I think management would want to … improve performance of their asset base and arguably have a higher stock price before coming to the table with Exxon Mobil,” Whitfield said. “That’s not to say if Exxon Mobil offered a 25% premium, it wouldn’t be done. Personally, that was the number I had pegged in my mind. If you saw a 25% premium, I think that would bring them to the table because, let’s be realistic, every independent wants to be acquired by Exxon Mobil.” The Club believes it may take a bit more for Pioneer to seriously consider selling. A 25% premium from where Pioneer closed Thursday, at roughly $208 per share, would value shares at around $260 each. However, Jim Cramer said Monday he thinks Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield — an industry veteran in his second stint leading the company — would hesitate to sell at a per-share price below $285. That’s Pioneer stock’s all-time closing high, reached in June 2022. “I am not saying he wouldn’t sell. I am saying that he’s not going to sell below where this stock was, given the fact oil could be going back to $90 [a barrel], given the fact that he’s got the best Permian assets,” he added. West Texas Intermediate crude — the U.S. oil benchmark — was trading down more than 1% Monday afternoon, at $79.70 a barrel. We were content with our Pioneer investment prior to Exxon’s reported interest in the company, adding to our PXD stake twice last month at lower levels than Monday’s market price. Our most recent purchase of 25 shares on March 20…
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