Valero Energy's stock surged 5.42% during intraday trading on Thursday, reflecting a significant upward movement for the petroleum refiner.

The sharp rise follows the company's release of its fourth-quarter 2025 financial results, which surpassed analyst expectations. Valero reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.82, beating the consensus estimate of $3.27, while revenue of $30.37 billion also topped forecasts.

The stronger-than-expected profit was primarily driven by a substantial rebound in refining margins. The company's refining margin per barrel of throughput surged over 61% to $13.61 for the quarter, compared with $8.44 a year earlier, supported by record refining throughput volumes. Additionally, Valero announced a 6% increase in its quarterly cash dividend to $1.20 per share.