gasoline price risk, California refinery plans and Venezuela crude
New York, January 8, 2026, 07:09 ET — Premarket
Valero Energy shares rose 0.7% in premarket trading on Thursday to $185.10, after ending Wednesday at $183.86. The stock has been in focus after California said Valero will keep supplying the market through a mix of existing inventories and imported gasoline as it idles its Benicia refinery next year. StockAnalysis
Gasoline prices are one of the quickest inflation signals for consumers, and California’s supply chain is tight enough that refinery decisions can bleed into wholesale markets. For refiners, the key gauge is the crack spread — the gap between crude oil and fuel prices that traders use as a rough proxy for margins.
Oil prices firmed on Thursday after two…
