NEW YORK, January 4, 2026, 03:45 ET — Market closed
- Valero (VLO) last closed up about 1.5% at $165.31 on Friday, the first trading day of 2026.
- Oil ended near $61 a barrel as traders weighed oversupply concerns against fresh geopolitical risks.
- Valero’s next catalyst is its Jan. 29 earnings release and conference call.
Valero Energy Corp (VLO) shares rose about 1.5% on Friday to close at $165.31, after trading between $162.08 and $165.67. U.S. markets are closed on Sunday.
The move sets up a week where crude supply policy and geopolitical headlines could keep energy prices — and refining margins — in play.
For refiners such as Valero, investors track the crack spread — the gap between the cost of crude and the selling price of fuels such as gasoline and diesel — as a shorthand for earnings power.
Valero said it will release fourth-quarter and full-year 2025 results on Jan. 29, before U.S. markets open, and host a conference call at 10 a.m. ET.
On Friday, Valero snapped a two-session losing streak. The stock traded about 11% below its 52-week high of $185.62 reached in November, and volume came in below its 50-day average, MarketWatch data showed.
Other U.S. refiners also finished higher on Friday, with Marathon Petroleum up about 1.6%, Phillips 66 up about 1.2% and HF Sinclair up about 1.7%.
Crude prices ended little changed to start 2026 after oil’s biggest annual loss since 2020, with Brent settling at $60.75 a barrel and U.S. WTI at $57.32, as traders weighed oversupply concerns against flashpoints including Ukraine and Venezuela. “Oil prices are locked in this long-term trading range,” said Phil Flynn, a senior analyst at Price Futures Group. Reuters
OPEC+ is expected to keep output policy steady at a Sunday meeting, sources told Reuters, as the group continues to pause supply increases for the first quarter.
For Valero, the balance matters because shifts in crude supply can change feedstock costs, while moves in wholesale gasoline and diesel prices flow directly into refining margins.
Before the next U.S. stock session, traders will look for any immediate oil-price reaction to the OPEC+ decision and further signals on supply risks tied to sanctions and conflict.
Investors will also keep an eye on U.S. inventory data that can move fuel prices and crack spreads. The Energy Information Administration’s Weekly Petroleum Status Report is typically released at 10:30 a.m. ET on Wednesdays.
Valero’s Jan. 29 report is the next company-specific checkpoint, with investors watching management’s read on refining margins, utilization and the company’s outlook for 2026.
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