Piper Sandler and Scotiabank Lower HF Sinclair (DINO) Price Targets Amid West Coast Operational Challenges

Core Viewpoint - HF Sinclair Corporation (NYSE:DINO) is considered a mid-cap stock to buy by top investors, despite recent adjustments to earnings forecasts due to operational challenges on the West Coast [1][3]. Group 1: Earnings Forecast Adjustments - Piper Sandler has reduced its fourth-quarter 2025 earnings per share projections for HF Sinclair to $0.44 from $0.96 and lowered its EBITDA forecast to $358 million from $473 million [3]. - Scotiabank has also decreased its price target for HF Sinclair from $66 to $62 as part of a broader revision of price forecasts for large-cap E&P, refining, and American integrated oil equities [3]. Group 2: Operational Insights - The operational difficulties on the West Coast are described as "messy" and are the primary reason for the downward adjustments in earnings predictions [1][3]. - Despite the current challenges, Piper Sandler views these West Coast issues as "non-recurring" and expresses optimism for HF Sinclair in 2026, citing potential benefits from wider crude price differentials and an improving West Coast market [3]. Group 3: Company Overview - HF Sinclair Corporation is an independent petroleum refiner in the United States, with operations spanning the mid-continent, southwestern, and Rocky Mountain regions [4].