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Freehold Royalties (OTCMKTS:FRHLF – Get Free Report) and Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap energy companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, valuation, earnings, dividends, risk, analyst recommendations and institutional ownership.

Profitability This table compares Freehold Royalties and Par Pacific’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Freehold Royalties 43.59% 13.90% 10.09% Par Pacific 9.94% 56.19% 21.61% Insider & Institutional Ownership 92.2% of Par Pacific shares are held by institutional investors. 3.6% of Par Pacific shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Valuation & Earnings This table compares Freehold Royalties and Par Pacific”s top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Freehold Royalties $224.34 million 9.19 $65.69 million $0.61 20.62 Par Pacific $7.46 billion 0.57 $369.39 million $17.14 4.97 Par Pacific has higher revenue and earnings than Freehold Royalties. Par Pacific is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Freehold Royalties, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of recent recommendations and price targets for Freehold Royalties and Par Pacific, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Freehold Royalties 0 5 0 0 2.00 Par Pacific 0 3 9 1 2.85 Par Pacific has a consensus target price of $87.29, suggesting a potential upside of 2.50%. Given Par Pacific’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Par Pacific is more favorable than Freehold Royalties.

Summary Par Pacific beats Freehold Royalties on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

(Get Free Report)

Freehold Royalties Ltd. engages in the acquiring and managing royalty interests in the crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and potash properties in Western Canada and the United States. Freehold Royalties Ltd. was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

About Par Pacific (Get Free Report)

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. owns and operates energy and infrastructure businesses. The company operates through Refining, Retail, and Logistics segments. The Refining segment owns and operates refineries that produce gasoline, distillate, asphalt, and other products primarily for consumption in Kapolei, Hawaii, Newcastle, Wyoming, Tacoma, Washington, and Billings, Montana. The Retail segment operates fuel retail outlets, which sell merchandise, such as soft drinks, prepared foods, and other sundries in Hawaii under the Hele, 76, and nomnom brands; and gasoline, diesel, and retail merchandise in Washington and Idaho. The Logistics segment owns and operates terminals, pipelines, single point mooring, marine vessels, storage facilities, loading and truck racks, and rail facilities to distribute ethanol, petroleum, and refined products throughout Hawaii, the United States West Coast, Washington, the Dakotas, and Wyoming; and a jet fuel storage facility and pipeline that serves Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. It also holds interest in refined products pipeline. In addition, the company owns and operates a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal; a truck rack, and a proprietary pipeline that serves Joint Base Lewis McChord. The company was formerly known as Par Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. in October 2015. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a great growth stock is not easy at all.

That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.

However, it's pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.

Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Studies have shown that stocks with the best growth features consistently outperform the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this independent oil and gas company a great growth pick right now.

Earnings GrowthArguably nothing is more important than earnings growth, as surging profit levels is what most investors are after. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Par Petroleum is 3.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 247.8% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 228.3%.

Impressive Asset Utilization RatioGrowth investors often overlook asset utilization ratio, also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio, but it is an important feature of a real growth stock. This metric exhibits how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.

Right now, Par Petroleum has an S/TA ratio of 2.07, which means that the company gets $2.07 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 1.77, it can be said that the company is more efficient.

In addition to efficiency in generating sales, sales growth plays an important role. And Par Petroleum looks attractive from a sales growth perspective as well. The company's sales are expected to grow 18.6% this year versus the industry average of 17%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsBeyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Par Petroleum. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 23.3% over the past month.

Bottom LinePar Petroleum has not only earned a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above, but it also carries a Zacks Rank #1 because of the positive earnings estimate revisions.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination indicates that Par Petroleum is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:PARR – Get Free Report) shares reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday. The stock traded as high as $88.34 and last traded at $87.7650, with a volume of 319477 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $84.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades PARR has been the topic of several recent research reports. Mizuho increased their price target on Par Pacific from $80.00 to $85.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Zacks Research raised shares of Par Pacific from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, September 4th. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Par Pacific in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Raymond James Financial increased their target price on Par Pacific from $90.00 to $104.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Par Pacific from $77.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $84.29.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on PARR

Par Pacific Stock Down 0.3% The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.84 and a quick ratio of 0.76. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.09 and a beta of 0.75. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $80.00 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $68.34. Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $10.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.22 by $1.88. The business had revenue of $2.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $2.40 billion. Par Pacific had a net margin of 9.94% and a return on equity of 56.19%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 56.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.54 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. will post 23.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Par Pacific In related news, CEO William Monteleone sold 40,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $81.30, for a total value of $3,252,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 457,167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $37,167,677.10. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Timothy Clossey sold 10,970 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $84.00, for a total transaction of $921,480.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 51,526 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,328,184. The trade was a 17.55% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 54,248 shares of company stock valued at $4,394,057. Company insiders own 3.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PARR. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in Par Pacific by 32.0% during the 1st quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 713 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after purchasing an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Birchbrook Inc. raised its stake in shares of Par Pacific by 12.8% during the 2nd quarter. Birchbrook Inc. now owns 3,385 shares of the company’s stock worth $190,000 after buying an additional 385 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Par Pacific during the 1st quarter worth $26,000. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA boosted its holdings in Par Pacific by 6.4% during the first quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 7,598 shares of the company’s stock worth $476,000 after buying an additional 455 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP boosted its stake in shares of Par Pacific by 12.8% during the 2nd quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 5,826 shares of the company’s stock worth $327,000 after acquiring an additional 663 shares in the last quarter. 92.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Par Pacific (Get Free Report)

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc is an energy company engaged in refining, marketing and distributing transportation fuels and other petroleum products. Through its refining operations, the company produces gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and other refined products for commercial, industrial and retail customers.

Par Pacific operates refineries and related energy infrastructure in the western United States, with a significant presence in Hawaii and additional refining and logistics operations in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain regions.

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It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

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What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

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Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

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How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.86% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

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To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. is a growth-oriented energy company supplying conventional and renewable fuels across the western U.S., headquartered in Houston, TX. Its integrated platform sources crude, refines transportation fuels and distributes products through wholesale, retail, and logistics channels. As of Dec. 31, 2025, Par Pacific owned four refineries with a combined crude throughput capacity of 219 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd) in Kapolei, HI; Newcastle, WY; Tacoma, WA; and Billings, MT. These facilities produce gasoline, distillates, asphalt, and other refined products for Hawaii and markets from Washington through the Dakotas and Wyoming.

PARR is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Momentum investors should take note of this Oils-Energy stock. PARR has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 7.6% over the past four weeks.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $4.39 to $23.74 per share. PARR also boasts an average earnings surprise of +48.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, PARR should be on investors' short list.

Richard Creamer to Retire in April 2027; Will Serve as Senior Advisor Through the Transition Richard Creamer to Retire in April 2027; Will Serve as Senior Advisor Through the Transition

PrimeEnergy (NASDAQ:PNRG – Get Free Report) and Par Pacific (NYSE:PARR – Get Free Report) are both energy companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their profitability, institutional ownership, earnings, risk, valuation, analyst recommendations and dividends.

Earnings and Valuation This table compares PrimeEnergy and Par Pacific”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio PrimeEnergy $189.05 million 1.76 $26.31 million $10.38 20.31 Par Pacific $7.46 billion 0.52 $369.39 million $17.14 4.48 Par Pacific has higher revenue and earnings than PrimeEnergy. Par Pacific is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than PrimeEnergy, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks. Institutional & Insider Ownership 92.2% of Par Pacific shares are owned by institutional investors. 65.3% of PrimeEnergy shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 3.6% of Par Pacific shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Volatility & Risk PrimeEnergy has a beta of -0.24, meaning that its stock price is 124% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Par Pacific has a beta of 0.77, meaning that its stock price is 23% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for PrimeEnergy and Par Pacific, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score PrimeEnergy 0 2 0 0 2.00 Par Pacific 0 1 11 1 3.00 Par Pacific has a consensus target price of $84.29, suggesting a potential upside of 9.66%. Given Par Pacific’s stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, analysts plainly believe Par Pacific is more favorable than PrimeEnergy.

Profitability This table compares PrimeEnergy and Par Pacific’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets PrimeEnergy 13.87% 11.47% 7.67% Par Pacific 9.94% 56.19% 21.61% Summary Par Pacific beats PrimeEnergy on 11 of the 15 factors compared between the two stocks.

About PrimeEnergy (Get Free Report)

PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation, through its subsidiaries, engages in acquisition, development, and production of oil and natural gas properties in the United States. The company owns leasehold, mineral, and royalty interests in producing and non-producing oil and gas properties; and operates approximately 534 active wells and owns non-operating interests and royalties in 952 additional wells. It also acquires producing oil and gas properties through joint ventures with industry partners; and provides contract services to third parties, including well-servicing support, site-preparation, and construction services for oil and gas drilling and reworking operations. The company was formerly known as PrimeEnergy Corporation and changed its name to PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation in December 2018. PrimeEnergy Resources Corporation was incorporated in 1973 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

About Par Pacific (Get Free Report)

Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. owns and operates energy and infrastructure businesses. The company operates through Refining, Retail, and Logistics segments. The Refining segment owns and operates refineries that produce gasoline, distillate, asphalt, and other products primarily for consumption in Kapolei, Hawaii, Newcastle, Wyoming, Tacoma, Washington, and Billings, Montana. The Retail segment operates fuel retail outlets, which sell merchandise, such as soft drinks, prepared foods, and other sundries in Hawaii under the Hele, 76, and nomnom brands; and gasoline, diesel, and retail merchandise in Washington and Idaho. The Logistics segment owns and operates terminals, pipelines, single point mooring, marine vessels, storage facilities, loading and truck racks, and rail facilities to distribute ethanol, petroleum, and refined products throughout Hawaii, the United States West Coast, Washington, the Dakotas, and Wyoming; and a jet fuel storage facility and pipeline that serves Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota. It also holds interest in refined products pipeline. In addition, the company owns and operates a marine terminal, a unit train-capable rail loading terminal; a truck rack, and a proprietary pipeline that serves Joint Base Lewis McChord. The company was formerly known as Par Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. in October 2015. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1984 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Key Takeaways PARR's July refining index stayed high at $31.34 per barrel after averaging about $33 in the second quarter.Firm fuel demand and tight global inventories continue to support attractive refining margins for PARR.PARR may face near-term Hawaii turnaround pressure, but the broader refining backdrop remains supportive. Par Pacific Holdings Inc. (PARR - Free Report) continued to benefit from a strong refining market at the start of the third quarter. Its refining index, which is a rough measure of how profitable it is to turn crude oil into products like gasoline and diesel, was still very high in July at $31.34 per barrel, slightly below the second-quarter average of about $33.

Demand for fuels remained solid, especially on the mainland, while global fuel inventories stayed relatively tight. In simple terms, there was still healthy demand for refined products and limited excess supply, which helped Par Pacific continue earning attractive margins from its refineries.

PARR appears well-positioned to benefit from still-strong refining margins, firm fuel demand and tight global product inventories. Although the Hawaii turnaround could weigh on third-quarter throughput and margin capture in the near term, the broader refining backdrop remains supportive of continued strong earnings.

Will PSX and VLO Also Gain?The favorable business environment is also likely to benefit refiners such as Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) and Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) .

On its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, PSX noted that there aren’t enough refineries or products globally right now because much refining capacity is offline and fuel inventories are low. China is also exporting less fuel than usual. This shortage helps keep refining margins, also called crack spreads, high. PSX believes these shortages may take longer to resolve than in 2022, which could keep the energy major’s refining profits strong into the September quarter and potentially 2027.

Valero Energy is unlikely to be an exception. The overall favorable refining business backdrop is also likely to be aiding VLO’s bottom line.

PARR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of PARR have gained 103.4% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 97.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PARR trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 3.26X. This is below the broader industry average of 5.65X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PARR’s 2026 earnings hasn’t seen any revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Par Pacific currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways National Energy Services' 3B3 strategy targets a $3 billion revenue run rate within three years.Jafurah's ramp-up boosted NESR's second-quarter revenue growth and is building unconventional expertise.PARR benefits from elevated refining margins and trades at 3.33X EV/EBITDA versus NESR's 10.84X. National Energy Services Reunited Corp. (NESR - Free Report) and Par Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) are two energy-sector players with contrasting business operations. NESR is an oilfield services provider operating in the Middle East and North Africa. The company derives a major part of its revenues from the Production Services segment, which provides services including hydraulic fracturing, coiled tubing, stimulation and pumping, and artificial lift services, among others. It also offers drilling and evaluation services, including tubular running services, directional drilling, wireline logging, pressure control and related services.

On the other hand, Par Pacific operates an integrated downstream energy business across the United States, with fuel retail operations in Hawaii, Washington and Idaho; refining operations in Hawaii, Wyoming, Washington and Montana; a cumulative refining capacity of 219,000 barrels per day; and a supporting logistics network.

Over the past year, NESR shares have rallied 218.7%, outperforming PARR’s 112.3% gain. Price performance alone does not fully indicate a stock’s attractiveness or strength, as it primarily reflects investor sentiment across market cycles. Hence, it is necessary to assess the fundamentals and broader operating environment of both stocks before arriving at an investment decision.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

NESR’s 3B3 Strategy and Jafurah Operations Offer Growth PotentialNational Energy Services’ operations are mainly concentrated in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). NESR highlighted its 3B3 corporate strategy in its latest earnings call, which consists of three key pillars aimed at achieving a $3 billion revenue run rate within three years. The first pillar is fueling the contract funnel. As a leading frac company in the Middle East, NESR’s scale provides it with the agility to easily deploy equipment and personnel across the region and enhance supply chain efficiency.

NESR’s scale, visibility and successful track record should enable it to bid for larger contracts across various service lines, increasing its project backlog and moving toward its $3 billion revenue target. The second pillar is expanding its geographical footprint by either establishing its presence in new markets or expanding its smaller existing operations in the Middle East. The third pillar involves commercializing its technology portfolio, particularly the NESR Environmental and Decarbonization Applications, which emphasizes decarbonization and water and mineral recovery, and ROYA, which is focused on advanced drilling technologies.

In addition, the Jafurah unconventional gas development has been identified as a major growth catalyst for NESR’s business. The Jafurah project is one of the world’s largest unconventional developments and requires multi-well pads and multi-stage hydraulic fracturing. This contrasts with the single-well, single-frac operations seen in conventional projects across the Middle East. Management said the ramp-up of Jafurah was a significant contributor to NESR’s second-quarter revenue growth. The project is also helping NESR build unconventional expertise that can potentially be replicated across other Middle Eastern markets. However, geopolitical risks remain a concern, as NESR’s operations are concentrated in the Middle East and North Africa.

Refining Strength Fuels PARR’s GrowthThe outlook for Par Pacific’s refining business remains constructive in the third quarter, supported by constrained refining capacity and elevated crack spreads. In fact, its combined market refining index was $31.34 per barrel at the beginning of the third quarter, slightly lower than $33 in the second quarter. Refining market conditions have tightened further since the beginning of the conflict in the Middle East, primarily due to damage to Russian refining facilities and lower Chinese exports. These factors have kept refined product inventories low, thereby supporting refining fundamentals.  

Elevated refining margins are expected to persist, as inventory normalization and the recovery of damaged refining infrastructure are expected to take time. These factors are anticipated to support refining margins in the upcoming quarters, thereby aiding PARR’s refining profits. Additionally, PARR’s retail and logistics businesses provide additional sources of earnings and cash flow, helping diversify the company’s earnings base. The commercial flexibility of its integrated downstream network enables the company to capitalize on favorable market conditions and support profitability. However, refining remains a cyclical industry, and margins may weaken significantly as market conditions normalize.

Image Source: Par Pacific Holdings

Valuation SnapshotConsidering the valuation snapshot, it has become evident that NESR is currently trading at a premium compared with Par Pacific. This is reflected in the fact that NESR trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 10.84X, higher than 3.33X for PARR.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

NESR vs PARR: Final VerdictNESR and PARR have contrasting business models, resulting in different strengths and risk profiles. National Energy Services' 3B3 strategy, innovative technology portfolio and increasing activity at Saudi Arabia’s Jafurah gas development position it for significant growth in the upcoming years. Meanwhile, PARR is positioned to benefit from elevated refining margins due to constrained refining capacity and low refined-product inventories globally and is currently trading at a lower valuation than NESR.

Overall, National Energy Services Reunited currently emerges as the more compelling investment between the two stocks, with a strong growth runway and expanding technology portfolio. NESR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), while PARR carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways Par Pacific's in-store sales rose 1% despite a 0.8% decline in same-store fuel volumes in Q2.PARR's Retail adjusted EBITDA increased to $17 million as food-service sales continued to grow.Par Pacific's retail segment generated $40.7 million in adjusted gross margin during the second quarter. Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (PARR - Free Report) is expanding its retail operations to build a more diversified earnings base alongside its refining business. The company operates fuel retail locations in Hawaii, Washington and Idaho through brands such as Hele, Nomnom and 76. Beyond fuel sales, PARR is placing greater emphasis on merchandise and food offerings, which management views as strengthening the segment’s underlying earnings power. In the second quarter of 2026, in-store sales increased 1% year over year despite a 0.8% decline in same-store fuel volumes.

Food service is emerging as an important part of this strategy. Continued growth in food service sales across both operating regions enabled Retail adjusted EBITDA to improve sequentially to $17 million from $15 million. Expanding these higher-value offerings gives Par Pacific another avenue to generate earnings beyond simply selling gasoline and diesel. This diversification is important for a company whose refining results remain sensitive to volatile crude oil and refined-product prices.

Retail therefore adds another layer to PARR’s broader integrated energy portfolio. The segment generated $40.7 million of adjusted gross margin during the second quarter, highlighting its contribution amid softer fuel volumes. Further progress in merchandising and food service may strengthen Par Pacific’s retail profitability and provide a steadier earnings contribution alongside the more cyclical refining business.

Other Refiners Echo PARR’s Push for More Stable EarningsLike Par Pacific, HF Sinclair Corporation (DINO - Free Report) and Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) are strengthening downstream businesses beyond refining to build a more diversified earnings base.

DINO is expanding its branded fuel footprint, adding 63 sites in the latest quarter and more than 100 prospective locations in the pipeline. Meanwhile, PSX continues to benefit from its Marketing and Specialties operations, which management views as a source of more reliable cash flows alongside midstream.

These businesses give both HF Sinclair and Phillips 66 additional earnings support outside the more cyclical refining segment, reinforcing a broader industry push toward steadier downstream cash generation.

PARR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of Par Pacific have surged 132.8% over the past year compared with the industry’s 123% growth.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PARR trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise-value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 3.44X. This is below the broader industry average of 6.05X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PARR's 2026 earnings has seen upward revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PARR currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.8% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. is a growth-oriented energy company supplying conventional and renewable fuels across the western U.S., headquartered in Houston, TX. Its integrated platform sources crude, refines transportation fuels and distributes products through wholesale, retail, and logistics channels. As of Dec. 31, 2025, Par Pacific owned four refineries with a combined crude throughput capacity of 219 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd) in Kapolei, HI; Newcastle, WY; Tacoma, WA; and Billings, MT. These facilities produce gasoline, distillates, asphalt, and other refined products for Hawaii and markets from Washington through the Dakotas and Wyoming.

PARR is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Momentum investors should take note of this Oils-Energy stock. PARR has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 10.1% over the past four weeks.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $4.36 to $22.21 per share. PARR also boasts an average earnings surprise of +48.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, PARR should be on investors' short list.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.8% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. is a growth-oriented energy company supplying conventional and renewable fuels across the western U.S., headquartered in Houston, TX. Its integrated platform sources crude, refines transportation fuels and distributes products through wholesale, retail, and logistics channels. As of Dec. 31, 2025, Par Pacific owned four refineries with a combined crude throughput capacity of 219 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd) in Kapolei, HI; Newcastle, WY; Tacoma, WA; and Billings, MT. These facilities produce gasoline, distillates, asphalt, and other refined products for Hawaii and markets from Washington through the Dakotas and Wyoming.

PARR is a #1 (Strong Buy) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. PARR has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 193.8% for the current fiscal year.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate higher in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $4.36 to $22.21 per share. PARR also boasts an average earnings surprise of +48.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, PARR should be on investors' short list.

Key Takeaways PARR surged 147.8% in a year, outperforming the industry's 118.6% growth and peers in the refining space.PARR's crude mix includes waterborne supplies and 19% Canadian heavy oil, giving it sourcing flexibility.PARR's July refining index was $31.34 per barrel, while its 3.50x EV/EBITDA trails the 5.83x industry average. Par Pacific Holdings Inc. (PARR - Free Report) has jumped a whopping 147.8% in a year, outperforming the industry’s 118.6% growth. Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) and Valero Energy Corporation (VLO - Free Report) , belonging to the same space, have surged 95.1% and 144.6%, respectively, over the same time frame.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The price chart reflects investors' strong preference for PARR stock. However, before making investment decisions, one should consider the company's overall business environment and fundamentals.

PARR’s Diverse Crude Mix Boosts Refining EconomicsInstead of relying on a single source of crude, PARR has been depending on crude from a variety of sources, comprising U.S. inland oil fields, waterborne sources and Canadian heavy crude.

Notably, a significant portion of crude oil sources is waterborne, while 19% consists of Canadian heavy oil. While exposed to multiple sources, Par Pacific has the option to switch if the price of one crude oil type rises.

Because it has exposure to Canadian heavy oil, which is cheaper than lighter crude, Par Pacific is likely enjoying a cost advantage. In other words, the refining player has been capable of using lower-priced fuel to produce high-value end products, giving it an edge over other refiners and helping it continue its upward trajectory.

Image Source: Par Pacific Holdings Inc

PARR’s Refining Margin to Remain StrongPar Pacific continued to benefit from a strong refining market at the start of the third quarter. Its refining index, which is a rough measure of how profitable it is to turn crude oil into products like gasoline and diesel, was still very high in July at $31.34 per barrel, slightly below the second-quarter average of about $33. Demand for fuels remained strong, especially on the mainland, while global fuel inventories stayed relatively tight. In simple terms, there was still healthy demand for refined products and limited excess supply, which helped PARR continue earning attractive margins from its refineries.

PARR appears well-positioned to benefit from still-strong refining margins, firm fuel demand and tight global product inventories. The favorable business environment is also likely to aid refiners like PSX and VLO.

PARR is currently considered cheap on a relative basis, with the stock trading at 3.50x trailing 12-month Enterprise Value to Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization (EV/EBITDA), which is a discount compared with the broader industry average of 5.83x. Valero Energy and Phillips 66 are valued at 8.09x and 11.51x, respectively.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Should You Bet on the Stock?Despite PARR’s solid stock price rally, the stock seems well-positioned to further benefit from the favorable refining environment. Hence, this might be a good time to bet on it. The company currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways Par Pacific combines 219,000 bpd of refining capacity with retail and logistics operations.Constrained refining capacity and elevated crack spreads provide a near-term earnings tailwind.Retail and logistics increasingly add earnings, helping diversify exposure to refining cycles. Par Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) operates an integrated downstream energy business across the United States, with fuel retail operations in Hawaii, Washington and Idaho; refining operations in Hawaii, Wyoming, Washington and Montana; a cumulative refining capacity of 219,000 barrels per day; and a supporting logistics network. Its logistics network includes 13 million barrels of storage, along with marine and pipeline assets for transportation. The commercial flexibility of its downstream network allows the company to capitalize on changing market conditions to support profitability.

The current business environment looks supportive for PARR, as refining capacity remains constrained due to ongoing disruptions in the Middle East and attacks on Russian refining infrastructure. The 3-2-1 crack spread, widely recognized as an indicator of refining profitability, also remains elevated compared with last year. In addition to refining, Par Pacific’s investment case is supported by its retail and logistics operations, which are increasingly contributing to its earnings. The company operates 87 Hawaii retail locations and 29 company-operated locations in Washington and Idaho. These retail positions, with merchandise and food service offerings, diversify the company’s earnings base and provide additional support beyond its refining operations.

The supportive refining environment provides a near-term earnings tailwind for PARR. Additionally, its retail and logistics businesses diversify its earnings base and reduce its exposure to refining cycles.

Other Refining Players to Benefit From Tight Fuel MarketsValero Energy (VLO - Free Report) is among the largest independent refiners in the United States, with a combined high-complexity throughput capacity of nearly 3 million barrels per day across its refineries. Its refining footprint is heavily concentrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Midcontinent, offering feedstock sourcing flexibility. Moreover, its Gulf Coast access enables it to sell refined products in high-demand markets and capitalize on the current increase in export demand for refined products driven by the supply disruptions in the Middle East. This positions Valero to benefit from elevated refining margins and strong international demand for refined products.

PBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) has a geographically diverse refining network with large-scale processing capacity and a highly complex refining system. It operates six refineries - Delaware City Refinery, Paulsboro Refinery, Toledo Refinery, Chalmette Refinery, Torrance Refinery and Martinez Refinery— with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 1 million barrels per day and the ability to process a wide range of feedstocks. The diversified refining footprint provides the company exposure to several regional refining markets, supporting higher margins.

PARR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesPar Pacific shares have jumped 149.9% over the past year compared with the 119.8% improvement of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PARR trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 3.48X. This is above the broader industry average of 5.75X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PARR’s 2026 earnings hasn’t seen any revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PARR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use a variety of methods, including tried-and-true valuation metrics, to find these stocks.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

Par Pacific (PARR - Free Report) is a stock many investors are watching right now. PARR is currently holding a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock holds a P/E ratio of 9.61, while its industry has an average P/E of 10.28. PARR's Forward P/E has been as high as 33.91 and as low as 5.93, with a median of 15.56, all within the past year.

Value investors also frequently use the P/S ratio. This metric is found by dividing a stock's price with the company's revenue. This is a popular metric because sales are harder to manipulate on an income statement, so they are often considered a better performance indicator. PARR has a P/S ratio of 0.47. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.64.

These figures are just a handful of the metrics value investors tend to look at, but they help show that Par Pacific is likely being undervalued right now. Considering this, as well as the strength of its earnings outlook, PARR feels like a great value stock at the moment.

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) . Shares have added about 14.7% in that time frame, outperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Par Petroleum due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its latest earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers.

Par Pacific Beats on Q2 Earnings EstimatesPar Pacificreported second-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings of $10.10 per share, surging 555.8% from $1.54 a year ago. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.20 by 23.2%.

Quarterly revenues jumped 56.8% year over year to $2.97 billion and topped the consensus estimate of $2.48 billion by 19.9%.

The strong quarterly results were driven by strong refining economics and commercial execution as the refining adjusted gross margin reached $680.4 million despite total throughput declining 2.8% to 181.4 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd).

PARR's Refining Margins Power the QuarterThe Refining segment generated operating income of $629.9 million, up sharply from $81.3 million in the prior-year quarter. Segment adjusted EBITDA rose to $552 million from $108.4 million, underscoring the stronger margin environment across the refining system.

The adjusted gross margin per throughput barrel climbed to $41.22 from $13.65. The combined market index increased to $32.94 per barrel from $13.76, while production costs grew to $7.71 per barrel from $7.20.

Par Pacific's Hawaii Economics StrengthenThe Hawaii Index averaged $46.06 per barrel compared with $8.57 a year earlier. Hawaii throughput declined to 73.2 Mbpd from 88.1 Mbpd, but the refinery's adjusted gross margin expanded to $57 per barrel from $10.18.

The quarterly margin included a favorable net price lag impact of $76.5 million, or $11.49 per barrel, as lower June product prices benefited volumes sold using prior-period pricing. Production costs increased to $6.43 per barrel from $4.18. Management said that the Hawaii turnaround was substantially complete, with most processing units online.

PARR's Other Refineries Post Broad GainsMontana throughput increased to 52.7 Mbpd from 44.2 Mbpd. Its adjusted gross margin rose to $37.22 per barrel from $22.30, while production costs fell to $10.16 per barrel from $14.18.

Washington throughput was 41.2 Mbpd compared with 40.8 Mbpd, and adjusted gross margin advanced to $20.31 per barrel from $11.47. Wyoming throughput increased to 14.3 Mbpd from 13.5 Mbpd, while the adjusted gross margin reached $34.03 per barrel versus $18.57. Wyoming's results included a negative first-in, first-out (FIFO) inventory impact of $3.2 million, or $2.48 per barrel.

Par Pacific Retail Softens as Logistics HoldThe Retail segment reported operating income of $14.6 million, down from $20.8 million. Adjusted EBITDA declined to $17.3 million from $23.3 million, while fuel sales volume was nearly flat at 30.7 million gallons versus 30.8 million gallons.

Same-store fuel volumes decreased 0.8%, though inside sales revenues improved 1.0%. Logistics operating income slipped to $22.5 million from $23.7 million. The adjusted gross margin increased to $35.1 million from $34.4 million, while adjusted EBITDA remained steady at $29.8 million.

PARR Profitability Expands on Refining UpsideConsolidated adjusted EBITDA was $571.3 million compared with $137.8 million in the year-ago quarter. GAAP net income attributable to Par Pacific stockholders rose to $462.1 million, or $9.35 per diluted share, from $59.5 million, or $1.17 per share.

Operating income increased to $634.6 million from $96.8 million. Interest expenses and financing costs declined to $14.3 million from $22.1 million, though the quarter included $11.5 million in debt extinguishment and commitment costs, and $144 million in income tax expenses.

Par Pacific Ends Q2 With $1.4B in LiquidityNet cash provided by operations totaled $282.6 million, including working capital outflows of $312.2 million and deferred turnaround spending of $19.5 million. Excluding those items, the operating cash flow was $614.3 million. Investing activities used $39.7 million, while financing activities used $223 million.

Par Pacific ended June with $185 million in cash, gross term debt of $505.7 million, and net term debt of $320.7 million. Total liquidity stood at $1.4 billion. The company also completed a $500-million senior unsecured notes offering and reduced term debt by more than $130 million.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a upward trend in fresh estimates.

The consensus estimate has shifted -9.53% due to these changes.

VGM ScoresCurrently, Par Petroleum has a great Growth Score of A, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. However, the stock has a score of A on the value side, putting it in the top quintile for value investors.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of A. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. It comes with little surprise Par Petroleum has a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). We expect an above average return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry PlayerPar Petroleum is part of the Zacks Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry. Over the past month, Equinor (EQNR - Free Report) , a stock from the same industry, has gained 14.3%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended June 2026 more than a month ago.

Equinor reported revenues of $35.18 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +39.9%. EPS of $1.33 for the same period compares with $0.64 a year ago.

Equinor is expected to post earnings of $1.46 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +294.6%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged.

The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Equinor. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of A.

Key Takeaways PBF Energy operates six U.S. refineries with a combined throughput capacity of 1 million barrels per day.PBF sees tight global supplies and more than 5 million barrels per day of offline refining capacity.PBF Energy gains exposure to constrained East and West Coast markets that rely on imports to meet demand. PBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) is a well-known refining firm in the United States that operates a diverse, highly complex refining network with large-scale processing capacity. It operates six refineries, Delaware City Refinery, Paulsboro Refinery, Toledo Refinery, Chalmette Refinery, Torrance Refinery and Martinez Refinery, with a combined throughput capacity of 1million barrels per day and can process a wide range of feedstocks. This broad geographic footprint gives PBF exposure to several regional refining markets instead of relying on a single region.

The refining player is well-positioned to benefit from a favorable refining environment in the near-term, supported by tight global product supplies and structurally constrained refining capacity in key U.S. markets. Management noted that ongoing geopolitical disruptions, particularly in the Middle East and Russia, have taken more than 5 million barrels per day of refining capacity offline. The affected refining infrastructure is expected to take some timeto recover and come back online due to the extensive damages suffered . Moreover, management expects product inventories to take time to normalize under normal economic conditions. This is expected to support refining margins and create a favorable backdrop for refining players.

In addition, PBF’s diversified refining footprint is a key competitive advantage, providing exposure to the East and West Coasts, where refining capacity remains constrained, and markets rely on imports to meet demand. This includes California, which imports a significant portion of its gasoline and jet fuel requirements. This incurs substantial import costs and is expected to support regional product pricing and refinery margins. As such, the refining environment remains constructive for PBF Energy, which should enable the refining company to sustain profitability in the upcoming quarters.

Refining Players That Can Benefit From the Current Market EnvironmentPar Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) operates an integrated downstream network spanning refining, logistics, retail and renewable fuels. The integrated platform covers the entire process,from sourcing crude to converting it into refined fuels and distributing the products through its retail and logistics channels. The downstream energy firm has a combined refining capacity of 219,000 barrels per day across Hawaii, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. This integrated setup provides the company with the operational flexibility to capitalize on favorable refining market conditions.

Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) is among the largest independent refiners in the United States, witha combined high-complexity throughput capacity of nearly 3 million barrels per day across its refineries. Its refining footprint is heavily concentrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Midcontinent, offering feedstock sourcing flexibility. Moreover, its Gulf Coast access enables it to sell its refined products in high-demand markets and benefit from elevated refining margins and strong international demand for refined products.

PBF’s Price Performance, Valuation & Estimates

PBF Energy shares have jumped 174% over the past year compared with the 112% improvement of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PBF trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 4.95X. This is below the broader industry average of 5.48X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PBF’s 2026 earnings has not seen any revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PBF, PARR and VLO each currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a great growth stock is not easy at all.

That's because, these stocks usually carry above-average risk and volatility. In fact, betting on a stock for which the growth story is actually over or nearing its end could lead to significant loss.

However, the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects, makes it pretty easy to find cutting-edge growth stocks.

Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) is on the list of such stocks currently recommended by our proprietary system. In addition to a favorable Growth Score, it carries a top Zacks Rank.

Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And for stocks that have a combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy), returns are even better.

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this independent oil and gas company a great growth pick right now.

Earnings GrowthArguably nothing is more important than earnings growth, as surging profit levels is what most investors are after. And for growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is definitely preferable, and often an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Par Petroleum is 3.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 182.2% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 164.8%.

Impressive Asset Utilization RatioAsset utilization ratio -- also known as sales-to-total-assets (S/TA) ratio -- is often overlooked by investors, but it is an important indicator in growth investing. This metric shows how efficiently a firm is utilizing its assets to generate sales.

Right now, Par Petroleum has an S/TA ratio of 2.07, which means that the company gets $2.07 in sales for each dollar in assets. Comparing this to the industry average of 1.77, it can be said that the company is more efficient.

In addition to efficiency in generating sales, sales growth plays an important role. And Par Petroleum is well positioned from a sales growth perspective too. The company's sales are expected to grow 17.3% this year versus the industry average of 17.2%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsSuperiority of a stock in terms of the metrics outlined above can be further validated by looking at the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is of course favorable here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Par Petroleum. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 14.7% over the past month.

Bottom LineWhile the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Par Petroleum a Zacks Rank #1 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination indicates that Par Petroleum is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.

For Immediate ReleaseChicago, IL – August 27, 2026 – Zacks Equity Research shares Wayfair (W - Free Report) as the Bull of the Day and Louisiana-Pacific Corporation (LPX - Free Report) as the Bear of the Day. In addition, Zacks Equity Research provides analysis on NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) , HF Sinclair (DINO - Free Report) and Par Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report)

Here is a synopsis of all five stocks:

Bull of the Day:Wayfair, a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), has quietly become one of the most compelling turnaround stories in retail.

The online home goods retailer just delivered its strongest U.S. growth since the pandemic era and its best free cash flow since 2020 — and it did so while the housing market, the single biggest driver of home furnishings demand, remains effectively frozen.

That combination is rare and the market certainly noticed. Shares closed roughly 30% higher on the day of the latest earnings report, one of the largest single-session moves for a large-cap retailer this year. The stock had entered that print down about 11% year to date, which tells you how little was expected.

A Leading Industry GroupWayfair is part of the Zacks Internet – Commerce industry group, which currently ranks in the top 43% out of more than 250 Zacks Ranked Industries. Because it is ranked in the top half of all Zacks Ranked Industries, we expect this group to outperform over the next 3 to 6 months.

Take note of the favorable characteristics for this group below. The industry’s improving positioning has been driven by a positive earnings outlook for its constituent companies in aggregate. Stocks in this industry are relatively undervalued and are expected to experience above-average earnings growth, signaling a powerful combination that should lead to higher prices in the future.

Historical research studies suggest that approximately half of a stock’s price appreciation is due to its industry grouping. In fact, the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries outperforms the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

It’s no secret that investing in stocks that are part of leading industry groups can give us a leg up relative to the market. By focusing on leading stocks within the top 50% of Zacks Ranked Industries, we can dramatically improve our stock-picking success.

Company DescriptionHeadquartered in Boston, Wayfair is one of the world’s largest online sellers of home goods, offering more than 18 million products from over 12,000 suppliers. Beyond its flagship site, the company operates a family of specialty brands including Joss & Main, AllModern, Birch Lane and the luxury-focused Perigold, with international operations in Canada, the U.K. and Germany.

What has changed is the business model underneath. Management spent the past two years aggressively rationalizing costs, exiting unprofitable geographies and rebuilding the platform around profitability rather than growth at any price.

The result is a company that now converts revenue growth into cash. Wayfair has also been pushing into physical retail with large-format stores, a notable pivot for a business built online, and one that appears to lift both brand awareness and digital sales in surrounding markets.

Earnings Trends and Future EstimatesThe second quarter was emphatic. Total net revenue rose 7.5% to $3.52 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.5%, while adjusted earnings of 95 cents per share also topped the 94-cent consensus.

U.S. net revenue climbed 8.7% to $3.1 billion — the strongest domestic growth of the entire post-COVID period. Non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA reached $242 million against roughly $230 million expected, and free cash flow hit $301 million, the highest since 2020. The balance sheet ended the quarter with $1.1 billion in cash and short-term investments and $1.6 billion of total liquidity.

Management’s commentary was equally constructive. CEO Niraj Shah pointed to the best sequential second-quarter growth since 2020 and noteworthy outperformance at Perigold, while CFO Kate Gulliver said plainly that Wayfair is taking share from traditional brick-and-mortar competitors while the housing market remains stalled. For the third quarter, the company guided to high-single-digit revenue growth — against a Street looking for roughly 5% — with gross margin of 29.5% to 30.5%.

The estimate picture reflects all of this. Wayfair has topped consensus EPS estimates in each of the last four quarters. The Zacks Consensus Estimate stands at 81 cents for the current quarter and $2.95 for the current fiscal year, with those figures surging 6.58% and 5.36%, respectively, over the past 60 days. This is the kind of revision momentum that drives the Zacks Rank.

Let’s Get TechnicalWayfair has transitioned from a broken-down laggard into one of the more powerful momentum stories in consumer discretionary. This is exactly the kind of stock we want to include in our portfolio — one that is trending well and receiving positive earnings estimate revisions.

Notice the decisive breakout following the latest earnings report, with shares clearing both the 50-day (blue line) and 200-day (red line) moving averages. Gaps of that magnitude on fundamental news frequently mark the beginning of a new trend rather than the end of one.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. As we know, Wayfair has recently witnessed sharp upward revisions. As long as this trend remains intact (and W continues to deliver earnings beats), the stock will likely continue its bullish run.

Bottom LineBacked by a leading industry group, accelerating domestic growth, record post-pandemic free cash flow and a powerful wave of upward estimate revisions, it’s not difficult to see why this turnaround has captured investor attention. Currently, W sports the highly coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), placing it in the top 5% of Zacks-covered stocks on estimate revisions.

A company growing share while its end market shrinks is a company with genuine competitive advantage — and when housing does eventually turn, Wayfair will have that tailwind on top of the share gains it is banking now. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to put Wayfair on your watchlist.

Bear of the Day:Louisiana-Pacific Corporation is a manufacturer of engineered wood building products, operating through two principal segments. Its Siding business produces the SmartSide and ExpertFinish product lines used in residential and light commercial construction, while its OSB segment manufactures oriented strand board, the structural panel used for roofs, walls and floors in new home construction.

The company has spent the past decade methodically shifting its center of gravity from commodity OSB toward higher-margin, branded Siding — a genuinely sound strategy that has delivered 10% compound annual volume growth in SmartSide over 15 years. The problem is that the transition is not finished, and the commodity half of the business is now actively destroying earnings.

Management has been candid about the environment. Chief Executive Officer Jason Ringblom described a housing market that “feels like it’s stuck in neutral,” and the company is explicitly assuming no improvement in underlying markets for the remainder of the year. Elevated mortgage rates continue to suppress both new construction and the repair-and-remodel activity that drives Siding demand, while OSB pricing has collapsed on soft demand across North and South America.

The Zacks RundownLouisiana-Pacific has been a clear laggard, and a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) reflects sharply unfavorable earnings estimate revision trends. Analysts have been cutting numbers aggressively — the consensus estimate for the second quarter was revised 18% lower in just the 30 days ahead of the latest earnings report, and the company still missed.

Shares are part of the Zacks Building Products – Wood industry group, which currently ranks in the bottom 21% out of more than 250 Zacks Ranked Industries. Because this industry is ranked in the bottom half of all Zacks Ranked Industries, we expect it to underperform the market over the next 3 to 6 months. While individual names can outperform a weak group, the industry association tends to cap the size and durability of any rally.

Compounding the concern is valuation. Despite collapsing earnings, LPX has recently traded at a forward P/E near 62 against an industry average closer to 27. This is a declining business trading at a premium multiple — a combination that leaves no margin for further disappointment.

Cracks in the Foundation: A Big Miss and Falling EstimatesThe second quarter, reported August 5th, was poor on nearly every line. Louisiana-Pacific posted earnings of $0.40 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.58 by a wide 31% and collapsing roughly 60% from $0.99 in the year-ago period. Net sales of $664 million declined 12.1% year over year and came in 1.48% below the consensus mark.

The segment detail is where the damage lives. Siding sales declined 4%, as a 7% price increase was overwhelmed by an 11% volume decline against the year-ago quarter, with primed Siding volume down 12%. OSB was worse: prices came in roughly $15 below the company’s own guidance, driving a $46 million EBITDA decline in that segment alone.

Most concerning is the forward guidance. Management now projects OSB adjusted EBITDA of negative $45 million in the third quarter and negative $120 million for the full year, assuming flat prices. An entire operating segment is expected to lose money at the EBITDA line for the year.

The company also guided full-year Siding net sales to a roughly 1% decline, cut its capital expenditure budget by $70 million to about $320 million — largely by delaying OSB maintenance projects. For the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has been slashed 41.5% to $1.17 per share on $2.5 billion in revenue, implying declines of roughly 56% and 7%, respectively. These are precisely the types of negative trends that the bears like to see.

Technical OutlookLPX stock has been carving out a well-defined downtrend. Notice how both the 50-day (blue line) and 200-day (red line) moving averages are sloping lower, with shares trading below them and drifting toward the lower end of their 52-week range.

The persistent decline has produced a classic “death cross,” wherein the 50-day moving average crosses below the 200-day moving average — a bearish technical signal that often precedes further weakness. Shares would need to mount a serious, high-volume move to the upside and show improving earnings estimate revisions to warrant taking any long positions.

Final ThoughtsA deteriorating fundamental and technical backdrop show that this stock doesn’t deserve a spot in household portfolios right now. An operating segment guided to lose $120 million at the EBITDA line, a 31% earnings miss, a premium valuation on falling numbers, and a housing market management itself calls “stuck in neutral” leave little reason for optimism in the near term.

Falling future earnings estimates will likely serve as a ceiling to any potential rallies, nurturing the stock’s downtrend. Potential investors may want to give this stock the cold shoulder, or perhaps consider including it as part of a short or hedge strategy.

Additional content:2 Oil Refiners Outperforming NVIDIA: Are They Better Buys?The Iran war has dominated the headlines of business newspapers as increasing oil prices rattle the global market. Investors have been considering the oil-energy sector to spot the stocks that are benefiting from the strong commodity pricing environment.

At the same time, despite the major macroeconomic events unsettling global equity markets, investors continue to chase opportunities tied to the AI revolution. Against this backdrop, NVIDIA has long been one of Wall Street’s most sought-after stocks as it is viewed as one of the leading ways to gain exposure to the AI revolution.

It would not be surprising if investors allocating money to NVDA also began looking at select energy companies to capitalize on opportunities arising from the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. After all, two leading U.S. refiners — HF Sinclair and Par Pacific Holdings — have already outperformed NVDA based on their recent share-price performance. Let’s delve deeper.

Refining Margin to Stay Exceptionally StrongPer data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the throughput of refineries across the globe in July plunged roughly 6% year over year. The reason for this is that globally, the energy market is experiencing disruption in fuel production due to the war in Iran and damage to Russian refining infrastructure. Thus, the supply of refined fuels such as gasoline and diesel is lower worldwide, and the IEA expects refining activity to remain weak in the third quarter.

The IEA has also forecast worldwide refinery throughput to slip by 2.5 million barrels per day in 2026. Most importantly, the key refiners in the United States have no other option but to operate at near maximum capacities, thereby generating exceptionally strong margins.

In other words, the high U.S. refinery utilizations are creating more opportunities for refiners like Par Pacific and HF Sinclair, which have soared 110.1% and 102.4%, respectively, year to date, outpacing NVDA’s 14.3% gain.

Why PARR & DINO are Attractive Bets NowPar Pacific continued to benefit from a strong refining market as it entered the third quarter. Its refining index, which is a rough measure of how profitable it is to turn crude oil into products like gasoline and diesel, was still very high in July at $31.34 per barrel, only slightly below the second-quarter average of about $33.

Demand for fuels remained strong, especially on the mainland, while global fuel inventories stayed relatively tight. In simple terms, there was still healthy demand for refined products and limited excess supply, which helped PARR continue earning attractive margins from its refineries.

PARR appears well-positioned to benefit from still-strong refining margins, firm fuel demand and tight global product inventories.

HF Sinclair is not going to be an exception. On its second-quarter 2026 call, the company mentioned that wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have disrupted refining capacities. DINO mentioned that inventories of fuel in the United States and in its key operating regions are low, especially when the demand for the end products remains healthy, thereby creating opportunities to continue to earn healthy refining margins. 

Last WordsWhile investors continue to pursue opportunities in the AI space, the favorable refining backdrop makes PARR and DINO stocks attractive right now. Both companies currently sport a Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss.This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performance for information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.

Key Takeaways PARR entered the third quarter with a $31.34-per-barrel combined refining index in July.Tight global product inventories and resilient refined-product demand are expected to support margins.Limited Persian Gulf, Russian and Chinese exports are helping sustain favorable refining conditions. Par Pacific Holdings (PARR - Free Report) operates an integrated downstream network spanning refining, logistics, retail and renewable fuels. The integrated platform covers everything from sourcing crude to converting it into refined fuels and distributing the products through its retail and logistics channels. The downstream energy firm has a combined refining capacity of 219,000 barrels per day across Hawaii, Montana, Washington and Wyoming. This integrated setup provides the company with the operational flexibility to capitalize on favorable refining market conditions.

Par Pacific reported strong second-quarter results, driven by strong refining gains and effective commercial execution. The company optimized refinery utilization and product placement to maximize margin capture. Management also stated that lower product exports from the Persian Gulf and Russia, along with conservative refinery operations by Asian refiners, supported its results. The company expects to benefit from favorable market conditions in the third quarter as well.

In its second-quarter earnings call, management mentioned that the company’s combined refining index totaled $31.34 per barrel in July, indicating a strong refining environment at the beginning of the third quarter. Moreover, tight product inventories globally are expected to support refining fundamentals. The company also closely monitors refinery utilization in China, where refined-product exports have seen limited growth. Tight product inventories amid resilient demand for refined products are expected to keep refining margins steady, while the flexibility of PARR’s asset base should support its profitability in the near term.

Downstream Players That Can Benefit From the Current Market EnvironmentPBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) has a geographically diverse refining network with large-scale processing capacity and a highly complex refining system. It operates six refineries — Delaware City Refinery, Paulsboro Refinery, Toledo Refinery, Chalmette Refinery, Torrance Refinery and Martinez Refinery — with a combined throughput capacity of 1 million barrels per day and can process a wide range of feedstocks. The company’s large-scale refining network enables it to capitalize on favorable refining market conditions. 

Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) is among the largest independent refiners in the United States, with a combined high-complexity throughput capacity of nearly 3 million barrels per day across its refineries. Its refining footprint is heavily concentrated along the U.S. Gulf Coast and the Midcontinent, offering feedstock sourcing flexibility. Moreover, its Gulf Coast access enables it to sell its refined products in high-demand markets and benefit from elevated refining margins and strong international demand.

PARR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesPar Pacific’s shares have surged 103.8% over the past six months compared with the 78% improvement of the composite stocks belonging to the industry.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PARR trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 3.33X. This is below the broader industry average of 5.38X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PARR’s 2026 earnings has not seen any revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

PARR, PBF and VLO each currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways PARR entered Q3 with a July refining index of $31.34 per barrel, near Q2's roughly $33 average.Firm fuel demand and tight global product inventories continue to support PARR's refining margins.A Hawaii turnaround may pressure Q3 throughput, but the refining backdrop remains supportive. Par Pacific Holdings Inc (PARR - Free Report) continued to benefit from a strong refining market as it entered the third quarter. Its refining index, which is a rough measure of how profitable it is to turn crude oil into products like gasoline and diesel, was still very high in July at $31.34 per barrel, slightly below the second-quarter average of about $33.

Demand for fuels remained solid, especially on the mainland, while global fuel inventories stayed relatively tight. In simple terms, there was still healthy demand for refined products and limited excess supply, which helped Par Pacific continue earning attractive margins from its refineries.

Looking ahead, PARR appears well-positioned to benefit from still-strong refining margins, firm fuel demand and tight global product inventories. Although the Hawaii turnaround could weigh on third-quarter throughput and margin capture in the near term, the broader refining backdrop remains supportive of continued strong earnings.

Will PSX and VLO Also Gain?The favorable business environment is also likely to benefit refiners such as Phillips 66 (PSX - Free Report) and Valero Energy (VLO - Free Report) .

On its second-quarter 2026 earnings call, PSX noted that there aren’t enough refineries or products globally right now because much refining capacity is offline and fuel inventories are low. China is also exporting less fuel than usual. This shortage helps keep refining margins, also called crack spreads, high. PSX believes these shortages may take longer to resolve than in 2022, which could keep the energy major’s refining profits strong into the September quarter and potentially 2027.

Valero Energy is unlikely to be an exception. The overall favorable refining business backdrop is also likely to be aiding VLO’s bottom line.

PARR’s Price Performance, Valuation & EstimatesShares of PARR have gained 142.9% over the past year compared with the industry’s growth of 84.9%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

From a valuation standpoint, PARR trades at a trailing 12-month enterprise value to EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 3.26X. This is below the broader industry average of 5.67X.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PARR’s 2026 earnings hasn’t seen any revisions over the past seven days.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Par Pacific currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Key Takeaways The low P/S strategy seeks stocks trading below their industry's median sales valuation.The screen also requires favorable P/E, P/B and debt-to-equity measures versus industry medians.PEB, M, PARR, APLE and PBF pair low sales valuations with solid fundamentals and business momentum. Investing in stocks based on valuation metrics is a proven strategy for identifying companies with strong upside potential. Although the price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is widely used to assess value, it becomes less meaningful when a company is unprofitable, operating with thin margins or experiencing volatile earnings.

In such situations, the price-to-sales (P/S) ratio can offer a more useful perspective. By comparing a company’s market value with its revenues, the metric helps investors evaluate how much they are paying for each dollar of sales.

Stocks with low P/S ratios may present attractive opportunities, particularly when supported by solid fundamentals, improving margins and favorable business momentum. However, a low multiple should not be viewed in isolation, as it may also reflect structural weaknesses or limited growth prospects. Used alongside measures of profitability, financial strength and operating performance, the price-to-sales ratio can help uncover undervalued stocks with meaningful upside potential.

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust (PEB - Free Report) , Macy's, Inc. (M - Free Report) , Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. (PARR - Free Report) , Apple Hospitality REIT, Inc. (APLE - Free Report) and PBF Energy Inc. (PBF - Free Report) are some companies with low price-to-sales ratios and the potential to offer higher returns.

What Is the Price-to-Sales Ratio?While a loss-making company with a negative price-to-earnings ratio falls out of investor favor, its price-to-sales ratio can indicate the hidden strength of the business. This underrated ratio is also used to identify a recovery situation or ensure a company's growth is not overvalued.

A stock’s price-to-sales ratio reflects how much investors pay for each dollar of revenues generated by a company.

If the price-to-sales ratio is 1, investors are paying $1 for every $1 of revenues generated by the company. A stock with a price-to-sales ratio below 1 is a good bargain, as investors need to pay less than a dollar for a dollar’s worth.

Thus, a stock with a lower price-to-sales ratio is a more suitable investment than a stock with a high price-to-sales ratio.

The price-to-sales ratio is often preferred over price-to-earnings, as companies can manipulate their earnings using various accounting measures. However, sales are harder to manipulate and are relatively reliable.

However, one should keep in mind that a company with high debt and a low price-to-sales ratio is not an ideal choice. The high debt level will have to be paid off at some point, leading to further share issuance, a rise in market cap and a higher price-to-sales ratio.

In any case, the price-to-sales ratio used in isolation cannot do the trick. One should analyze other ratios like Price/Earnings, Price/Book and Debt/Equity before arriving at any investment decision.

Screening ParametersPrice-to-Sales less than the Median Price-to-Sales for its Industry: The lower the price-to-sales ratio, the better.

Price-to-Earnings using F(1) estimate less than the Median Price-to-Earnings for its Industry: The lower, the better.

Price-to-Book (Common Equity) less than the Median Price-to-Book for its Industry: This is another parameter to ensure the value feature of a stock.

Debt-to-Equity (Most Recent) less than the Median Debt-to-Equity for its Industry: A company with less debt should have a stable price-to-sales ratio.

Current Price greater than or equal to $5: The stocks must be trading at a minimum of $5 or higher.

Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2: Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) stocks are known to outperform, irrespective of the market environment.

Value Score less than or equal to B: Our research shows that stocks with a Value Score of A or B, when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 or 2, offer the best opportunities in the value investing space.

Here are five of the 12 stocks that qualified the screening:

Pebblebrook, an internally managed hotel investment company, continues to demonstrate strong fundamentals, supported by its diverse portfolio of upscale urban and resort hotels. The company’s strategy centers on operational efficiency, disciplined capital allocation and enhancing long-term asset value through targeted redevelopments. Recent property transformations, including the successful repositioning of Newport Harbor Island Resort and the full restoration of LaPlaya Beach Resort, have strengthened portfolio quality and profitability.

Pebblebrook’s focus on productivity initiatives and cost control has helped offset inflationary pressures and protect margins, even amid uneven regional recoveries. With all major redevelopment projects completed, capital needs are expected to moderate, enabling greater free cash flow generation. Pebblebrook remains well-positioned to benefit from resilient travel demand, disciplined expense management and strategic property enhancements that support sustainable, long-term value creation. PEB currently has a Value Score of A and sports a Zacks Rank #1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Macy's Bold New Chapter strategy is focused on improving the company’s long-term competitive position through a more productive store base, stronger luxury banners, disciplined merchandising and enhanced customer engagement. The Reimagine initiative provides a repeatable operating model to improve service, store standards and local execution across key locations. Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury strengthen portfolio diversification, support a more favorable sales mix and reduce its reliance on the core department store business.

High-margin revenue streams, including credit card income and Macy’s Media Network, enhance earnings quality and provide stability beyond merchandise sales. Continued investment in omnichannel capabilities, artificial intelligence, supply-chain automation and inventory management should improve efficiency, availability and conversion. Strong liquidity supports these initiatives, while brand partnerships, curated assortments and experiential retail programs help reinforce traffic, loyalty and long-term relevance with customers. M presently has a Zacks Rank #2 and a Value Score of A.

Houston, TX-based Par Pacific offers a compelling investment case, supported by its integrated downstream platform spanning refining, logistics and retail operations. The company combines strong financial flexibility, with $937.7 million in liquidity, an active share repurchase program and lower financing costs, positioning it to create shareholder value through market cycles. Operational execution remains a key strength, highlighted by record Hawaii and Montana throughput, restored Washington operations and completed Rockies maintenance.

Hawaii Renewables provides an additional long-term growth catalyst as renewable diesel production ramps through the second half of 2026, while excess RIN monetization and affiliate earnings further support durable cash flow growth. PARR currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a Value Score of A.

Apple Hospitality is a publicly traded real estate investment trust that owns the largest and most diverse portfolio of upscale, room-focused hotels in the United States. The company offers a fundamentally sound lodging REIT story built on portfolio quality, brand alignment and disciplined execution. It owns a geographically diversified collection of room-focused hotels affiliated with leading brands, giving it broad exposure to leisure, corporate and group demand.

Management has demonstrated prudent capital allocation through selective acquisitions, timely dispositions and consistent reinvestment to keep properties competitive. A flexible balance sheet and ample liquidity provide resilience across cycles. While recent demand softness weighed on its performance, leisure trends remain supportive and operational agility positions the portfolio to benefit as business travel normalizes, supporting long-term cash flow stability and shareholder returns. APLE has a Value Score of B and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.

Parsippany, NJ-based PBF Energy benefits from a geographically diversified refining network that provides flexibility in sourcing crude, optimizing operations and supplying multiple regional markets. Its complex refining system enables the processing of a broad range of crude types while producing higher-value refined products, supporting profitability as market conditions evolve. The company also maintains a relatively conservative balance sheet with solid liquidity, providing financial flexibility and resilience through refining cycles while supporting its focus on reducing debt when conditions allow.

In addition, PBF continues to advance its Refining Business Improvement program, which is aimed at lowering costs and improving operational efficiency. These initiatives are expected to enhance refinery performance, reduce operating and capital expenditure, and strengthen long-term earnings potential, positioning the company to benefit from improved reliability and disciplined execution. PBF currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 and has a Value Score of A.

Growth investors focus on stocks that are seeing above-average financial growth, as this feature helps these securities garner the market's attention and deliver solid returns. But finding a growth stock that can live up to its true potential can be a tough task.

By their very nature, these stocks carry above-average risk and volatility. Moreover, if a company's growth story is over or nearing its end, betting on it could lead to significant loss.

However, the task of finding cutting-edge growth stocks is made easy with the help of the Zacks Growth Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which looks beyond the traditional growth attributes to analyze a company's real growth prospects.

Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) is one such stock that our proprietary system currently recommends. The company not only has a favorable Growth Score, but also carries a top Zacks Rank.

Research shows that stocks carrying the best growth features consistently beat the market. And returns are even better for stocks that possess the combination of a Growth Score of A or B and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy).

Here are three of the most important factors that make the stock of this independent oil and gas company a great growth pick right now.

Earnings GrowthEarnings growth is arguably the most important factor, as stocks exhibiting exceptionally surging profit levels tend to attract the attention of most investors. For growth investors, double-digit earnings growth is highly preferable, as it is often perceived as an indication of strong prospects (and stock price gains) for the company under consideration.

While the historical EPS growth rate for Par Petroleum is 3.2%, investors should actually focus on the projected growth. The company's EPS is expected to grow 182.2% this year, crushing the industry average, which calls for EPS growth of 123.7%.

Cash Flow GrowthWhile cash is the lifeblood of any business, higher-than-average cash flow growth is more important and beneficial for growth-oriented companies than for mature companies. That's because, growth in cash flow enables these companies to expand their businesses without depending on expensive outside funds.

Right now, year-over-year cash flow growth for Par Petroleum is 249.7%, which is higher than many of its peers. In fact, the rate compares to the industry average of 13.4%.

While investors should actually consider the current cash flow growth, it's worth taking a look at the historical rate too for putting the current reading into proper perspective. The company's annualized cash flow growth rate has been 39.8% over the past 3-5 years versus the industry average of 28.6%.

Promising Earnings Estimate RevisionsBeyond the metrics outlined above, investors should consider the trend in earnings estimate revisions. A positive trend is a plus here. Empirical research shows that there is a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

There have been upward revisions in current-year earnings estimates for Par Petroleum. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current year has surged 19.5% over the past month.

Bottom LineWhile the overall earnings estimate revisions have made Par Petroleum a Zacks Rank #1 stock, it has earned itself a Growth Score of A based on a number of factors, including the ones discussed above.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

This combination indicates that Par Petroleum is a potential outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors.

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What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) Par Pacific Holdings, Inc. is a growth-oriented energy company supplying conventional and renewable fuels across the western U.S., headquartered in Houston, TX. Its integrated platform sources crude, refines transportation fuels, and distributes products through wholesale, retail, and logistics channels. As of Dec. 31, 2025, Par Pacific owned four refineries with a combined crude throughput capacity of 219 thousand barrels per day (Mbpd) in Kapolei, Hawaii; Newcastle, Wyoming; Tacoma, Washington; and Billings, Montana. These facilities produce gasoline, distillates, asphalt, and other refined products for Hawaii and markets from Washington through the Dakotas and Wyoming.

PARR is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of A.

Additionally, the company could be a top pick for growth investors. PARR has a Growth Style Score of A, forecasting year-over-year earnings growth of 156% for the current fiscal year.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $3.93 to $19.35 per share. PARR boasts an average earnings surprise of +48.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Growth and VGM Style Scores, PARR should be on investors' short list.

For the quarter ended June 2026, Par Petroleum (PARR - Free Report) reported revenue of $2.97 billion, up 56.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $10.10, compared to $1.54 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +19.9% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.48 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $8.20, the EPS surprise was +23.17%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Par Petroleum performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Feedstocks Throughput - Total Refining: 181400 millions of barrels of oil versus the two-analyst average estimate of 184508.4 millions of barrels of oil.Feedstocks Throughput - Hawaii Refinery: 73.20 MMBBL/D versus 80.35 MMBBL/D estimated by two analysts on average.Feedstocks Throughput - Washington Refinery: 41.20 MMBBL/D compared to the 40.99 MMBBL/D average estimate based on two analysts.Feedstocks Throughput - Wyoming Refinery: 14.30 MMBBL/D versus 15.30 MMBBL/D estimated by two analysts on average.Adjusted Gross Margin per throughput bbl - Wyoming Refinery: $34.03 versus $28.32 estimated by two analysts on average.Adjusted Gross Margin per bbl - Total Refining: $41.22 versus $34.70 estimated by two analysts on average.Adjusted Gross Margin per bbl - Hawaii Refinery: $57.00 versus $49.91 estimated by two analysts on average.Adjusted Gross Margin per throughput bbl - Montana Refinery: $37.22 versus the two-analyst average estimate of $25.01.Adjusted Gross Margin per throughput bbl - Washington Refinery: $20.31 versus $18.61 estimated by two analysts on average.Revenues- Refining: $2.91 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2.32 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +59.1%.Revenues- Retail: $181.53 million compared to the $158.42 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +23.8% year over year.Revenues- Logistics: $79.58 million versus $76.5 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +9% change.View all Key Company Metrics for Par Petroleum here>>>

Shares of Par Petroleum have returned +2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

Here at Zacks, we focus on our proven ranking system, which places an emphasis on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, to find winning stocks. But we also understand that investors develop their own strategies, so we are constantly looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong companies for our readers.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.

Luckily, Zacks has developed its own Style Scores system in an effort to find stocks with specific traits. Value investors will be interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with both "A" grades in the Value category and high Zacks Ranks are among the strongest value stocks on the market right now.

One company value investors might notice is Par Pacific (PARR - Free Report) . PARR is currently holding a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A.

Another notable valuation metric for PARR is its P/B ratio of 1.57. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 2.65. Over the past year, PARR's P/B has been as high as 1.63 and as low as 0.58, with a median of 0.80.

Value investors also love the P/S ratio, which is calculated by simply dividing a stock's price with the company's sales. This is a preferred metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. PARR has a P/S ratio of 0.48. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.6.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in Par Pacific's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, PARR looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.