May-Sept. is Peak Driving Season in the U.S. Can Road Trips Move the Needle for These 3 Energy Stocks?
2026-05-23 22:35:00 ET
If you look at the year-over-year improvement in the first-quarter earnings of U.S. refiners Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO) , Marathon Petroleum (NYSE: MPC) , and Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) , the outlook for the summer driving season might seem very positive. But the refining business is complex. The energy sector is also being affected by the ongoing geopolitical conflict in the Middle East. Here's what investors need to know right now about these three refiners as the summer driving season gets underway.
Valero Energy reported first-quarter 2026 earnings of $4.22 per share. That is up from a loss of $1.90 per share in the same quarter of 2025. Take out one-time items, and that $1.90 loss improves to a profit of $0.89 per share. But the year-over-year improvement is still pretty incredible.
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