Valero Energy Corp

Valero Energy posted a decisive earnings beat in the second quarter of 2025, reporting adjusted EPS of $2.28 against a Wall Street consensus of $1.7568 — a 29.78% upside — while revenue of $29.89 billion topped estimates by 10.10%, even as the year-over-year comparison reflected a 13.3% decline driven largely by Brent crude averaging $66.59 per barrel versus $84.96 a year ago. The real story was the Refining segment, which delivered $1.27 billion in operating income — ahead of the prior year's $1.22 billion — with the U.S. Gulf Coast region setting a throughput record and lifting operating income to $846 million on improved margins of $11.78 per barrel. Offsetting that strength, the Renewable Diesel segment swung to an operating loss of $79 million as margins collapsed to $0.22 per gallon, a trend consistent with pressure felt across the broader renewables space. Valero returned $695 million to stockholders through dividends and buybacks, and with the Benicia refinery closure targeted for April 2026 and an FCC optimization project at St. Charles advancing toward completion, the company is actively reshaping its asset base heading into 2026.