Delek US Holdings surged 11.6% on Friday to close near its 52-week high of $71.47, extending a rally that has delivered nearly 90% in six months after the stock was selected by an artificial-intelligence-driven investment model in March.
The refiner’s second-quarter earnings showed adjusted earnings per share of $5.48, more than double the $2.21 consensus estimate, while adjusted EBITDA climbed 279% quarter-over-quarter to $638.7 million. The company also reported a 3,400% beat in fourth-quarter adjusted EPS, rising to $2.31 from a year-earlier loss of $0.07, alongside an EBITDA rebound to $375 million.
Delek’s logistics unit is targeting profits of $520 million to $560 million in 2026, while its enterprise optimization plan aims for at least $200 million in annual savings. Analysts’ average price target stands at about $40, with some estimates reaching $53.
The stock’s recent strength coincides with diesel spreads near historic highs above $102 per barrel. Its one-year performance included a 146% gain, including a 29% advance in the month prior to selection by the AI model.
Other AI-selected stocks also posted gains on Friday. CVR Energy rose 10.3%, while Peabody Energy advanced 29.93% in August. Mativ Holdings climbed 39.86% over the same period, and Haemonetics gained 27.19% in August and 99.49% since selection.
The AI-driven ProPicks strategy has returned 192.02% since its November 2023 launch, outperforming the S&P 500 by 110.86 percentage points. The Energy Elite and Healthcare Heroes strategies added 7.0% and 6.0% respectively in August, compared with a 2.5% gain for the broader index.
