Delek US Holdings Inc (NYSE:DK) is among the best oil & gas refinery stocks to buy now. On February 18, Delek US Holdings Inc (NYSE:DK) announced that it plans to pay a quarterly dividend of $0.255 per share on March 9. This announcement came as the company prepares to release its Q4 2025 results on February 27. Delek US Holdings Inc (DK) in Focus Before Upcoming Earnings and Analyst Moves In its Q3 2025 report, which was released in November, Delek posted adjusted EPS of $7.13. Wall Street was expecting ...

Skip to main content Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv Energy group Orlen's refining gains offset impairment hit, lifting shares February 19, 20266:53 AM UTCUpdated ago By Reuters Poland's largest refiner Orlen (PKN.WA) logo is displayed at their petrol station in Bialystok, Poland, October 2, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab GDANSK, Poland, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Polish energy group Orlen (PKN.WA), opens ...

Core Insights - Chevron's Gulf Coast refinery has begun processing Venezuelan oil for the first time since the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, converting heavy crude into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel for American consumers [1] Group 1: Chevron's Operations - Chevron has a long-standing presence in Venezuela and is optimistic about the situation improving for both Venezuelans and Americans, as increased oil flow is expected to lower costs [2] - The refinery is currently processing approximately 50,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan crude, with the potential to increase capacity by an additional 100,000 barrels per day as more shipments arrive [7] - Chevron's Pascagoula refinery is one of the few U.S. Gulf Coast facilities capable of processing heavy sour crude, alongside other complex refineries in the region [7] Group 2: Efficiency and Logistics - The refinery benefits from direct access to Venezuelan oil, which streamlines operations by eliminating the need for smaller ships or offshore pipelines [10] - Chevron's CEO highlighted the company's expansion in Venezuelan operations, noting a significant increase in production from 50,000 barrels per day to 250,000 barrels per day over the past few years, with a potential further increase of 50% in the next 18 to 24 months [11]

Core Insights - Phillips 66 (NYSE:PSX) experienced a significant share price increase of 10.73% from February 2 to February 9, 2026, marking it as one of the top-performing energy stocks during that week [1] Financial Performance - The company reported better-than-expected Q4 2025 results, with an adjusted EPS of $2.47, surpassing expectations by $0.32 [2] - Revenue for Q4 2025 reached $36.33 billion, reflecting a 7% year-over-year increase and exceeding estimates by nearly $2.9 billion [2] - Realized refining margins more than doubled to $12.48 per barrel, leading to refining earnings of $542 million, a significant recovery from a loss of $759 million in the same quarter the previous year [3] - The company's refining operations achieved a 99% crude capacity utilization rate and a record clean product yield of 88% [3] - Overall earnings for Q4 amounted to $2.9 billion, a substantial increase from Q3 earnings of $133 million [3] - The company successfully reduced its debt by $2 billion during the quarter, ending the year with a net debt of $19.7 billion, aided by the sale of a 65% stake in its German and Austrian fuel retail business [3] Analyst Reactions - Following the strong Q4 performance, several analysts raised their price targets for Phillips 66, with Citi increasing its target from $146 to $159 while maintaining a 'Neutral' rating [4] - Other firms such as TD Cowen, UBS, BMO Capital, Morgan Stanley, and Piper Sandler also adjusted their price targets upward in response to the Q4 results [4]

Core Insights - The oil and gas refining industry is entering a new era characterized by global demand fluctuations, regulatory pressures, decarbonization goals, and the need for operational intelligence to optimize complex refining assets [1] Group 1: Global Refining Capacity - Global refining capacity was approximately 103.5 million barrels per day (mbbl/d) in 2023, with expected growth primarily in the Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions, particularly China and India [2] - Refinery capacity is projected to increase by 2.6mbbl/d to 4.9mbbl/d by 2028, coinciding with advancements in digital technologies [2] Group 2: Challenges in Refining - Refineries are facing challenges such as aging infrastructure, labor shortages, rising operational costs, and increased vulnerability to unplanned shutdowns [3] - The oil and gas refinery maintenance industry is heavily reliant on aging infrastructure, which complicates the extraction, transportation, and processing of hydrocarbons [3] Group 3: Maintenance Strategies - To remain competitive, operators must minimize downtime, ensure asset longevity, and comply with stricter global emission standards, necessitating intelligent maintenance solutions [4] - Traditional maintenance models based on periodic inspections and manual monitoring are becoming inadequate for modern refineries [5] Group 4: Aging Assets and Risks - Many refineries are operating beyond their original design lifetimes, increasing the risk of equipment degradation and unexpected failures [6] - In the US, there are 132 operable refineries with a total crude-distillation capacity of around 18.4mbbl/d, where even minor outages can disrupt supply chains [6] - Upgrading to condition-based maintenance regimes is essential to mitigate risks and protect throughput, as unplanned shutdowns can have significant financial impacts [7]

Indian Oil Corp , the country's largest refiner, has committed to buying more Brazilian crude in the fiscal year starting April, after reducing Russian oil imports, a company executive said on Tuesday... ...

Core Insights - Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) is a prominent oil and gas refiner that processes both heavy and light crude into refined products, benefiting from the current low crude prices [1][8] - The ongoing decline in crude prices is advantageous for the downstream sector, allowing refiners like VLO to purchase raw materials at lower costs and enhance profit margins [2][8] Group 1: Business Model and Profitability - VLO's business model is strengthened by lower crude prices, with forecasts indicating crude prices will drop to $51.42 per barrel in 2026 from $65.32 in 2025, leading to an expected sharp increase in profit margins [2][8] - The company has maintained a strong track record of returning cash to shareholders, with an average payout ratio of 58% from 2014 to March 2025, excluding 2020, and currently offers a dividend yield of 2.52% [3][8] Group 2: Market Performance and Valuation - Valero's shares have appreciated by 34.2% over the past year, significantly outperforming the industry average of 12% [5] - The company trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) ratio of 8.64X, which is higher than the industry average of 4.48X [7] Group 3: Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for VLO's 2025 earnings has been revised downward over the past week, with current estimates showing earnings of $9.83 per share for the current year [9][10]

Market Overview - The market is experiencing significant selling pressure despite the end of the government shutdown, indicating a "buy the rumor, sell the news" scenario [2][3] - There is a rotation in the market, with certain sectors like healthcare and industrials showing renewed strength while high-flying stocks are losing momentum as 2025 approaches [4][5] Stock Picks Thermo Fisher Scientific - This diagnostic research company has shown upward momentum, increasing by 38% over the last six months, and is expected to maintain this trend [8][7] - The suggested trade involves buying the stock and writing a call option for January, aiming to capture potential upside [15] Danaher Corporation - Danaher is also a diagnostics company that has shown resilience, with a nearly 10% increase in the last month, and is expected to continue its upward trajectory [17][15] - The trade example is a defined risk call spread to capture upside while managing risk in case of market weakness [16] Valero Energy - Valero, involved in oil and gas refining and renewable energy, has maintained upward momentum despite challenges in the broader energy sector, with a year-to-date increase of 48% [27][28] - The trade example is a risk reversal strategy, selling a 170 put and buying a 190 call for January, allowing for potential upside capture while providing a buffer against downside risk [35][36]

Core Viewpoint - Reliance Industries is diversifying its crude oil sourcing by looking to sell some Middle Eastern and Iraqi crude in the spot market, following U.S. sanctions on Russian oil firms [1][2][4][5]. Group 1: Company Actions - Reliance Industries has been a significant buyer of crude from the Middle East and Russia, acquiring millions of barrels in recent years [2][4]. - The company operates the world's largest refinery complex at Jamnagar, with a processing capacity of 1.4 million barrels per day (bpd) [3]. - Reliance has a long-term agreement with Rosneft to purchase nearly 500,000 bpd of crude, making it India's largest buyer of Russian crude until recent sanctions [3][4]. Group 2: Market Strategy - In response to U.S. sanctions on Russian oil firms, Reliance has accelerated its crude oil purchases from the Middle East and has been more active in procuring oil from the Gulf region [4]. - The company is now offering Murban and Upper Zakum crude grades from the UAE and has already sold a cargo of Iraq's Basrah Medium to a Greek buyer [5]. Group 3: Industry Trends - Indian refiners are shifting away from Russian crude and increasing purchases from the Middle East and the Americas to compensate for anticipated declines in Russian oil loadings in the coming months [6].

Core Viewpoint - Exxon Mobil has restarted its gasoline-producing fluidic catalytic cracking unit at the Beaumont, Texas refinery, which has a capacity of 612,000 barrels per day [1] Company Summary - The fluidic catalytic cracking unit at Exxon Mobil's Beaumont refinery was restarted on Thursday [1] - The refinery has a significant production capacity of 612,000 barrels per day, indicating its importance in the company's overall operations [1]