PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 21,889,010 shares, a growth of 16.1% from the February 12th total of 18,855,072 shares. Currently, 20.1% of the company’s stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 2,668,846 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 2,668,846 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 8.2 days. Currently, 20.1% of the company’s stock are sold short.

PBF Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:PBF opened at $47.12 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average is $35.88 and its 200 day moving average is $32.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a current ratio of 1.21. The company has a market capitalization of $5.51 billion, a P/E ratio of -32.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.74 and a beta of 0.41. PBF Energy has a fifty-two week low of $13.61 and a fifty-two week high of $47.18.

PBF Energy (NYSE:PBF) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 12th. The oil and gas company reported $0.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.15) by $0.64. The business had revenue of $7.14 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.17 billion. PBF Energy had a negative net margin of 0.54% and a negative return on equity of 8.86%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 2.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted ($2.82) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that PBF Energy will post -1.12 earnings per share for the current year.

PBF Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 11th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 25th were given a dividend of $0.275 per share. This represents a $1.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 25th. PBF Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently -74.83%.

Insider Transactions at PBF Energy

In other news, insider Control Empresarial De Capital sold 600,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.43, for a total value of $26,658,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 24,096,898 shares in the company, valued at $1,070,625,178.14. This trade represents a 2.43% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Thomas J. Nimbley sold 200,000 shares of PBF Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.07, for a total value of $8,014,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 790,716 shares in the company, valued at approximately $31,683,990.12. The trade was a 20.19% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 6,367,179 shares of company stock valued at $251,164,080 over the last ninety days. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PBF Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of PBF. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in PBF Energy by 127.9% in the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,327,255 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $171,595,000 after purchasing an additional 3,550,820 shares during the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in PBF Energy by 147.4% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 2,772,258 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $83,639,000 after buying an additional 1,651,516 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of PBF Energy by 230.7% in the second quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,085,060 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $45,183,000 after buying an additional 1,454,500 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of PBF Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $34,243,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of PBF Energy by 2,198.8% during the 3rd quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 1,212,368 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $36,577,000 after buying an additional 1,159,628 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.29% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

PBF has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Tudor Pickering raised shares of PBF Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, February 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of PBF Energy from $33.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of PBF Energy from $29.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 14th. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of PBF Energy from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 13th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of PBF Energy from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and five have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $31.69.

More PBF Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting PBF Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Refining-margin tailwinds and Martinez restart progress — Market indicators for gasoline/diesel crack spreads have strengthened in March, boosting near?term profitability expectations for independent refiners like PBF; plus renewed confidence that the Martinez, CA rebuild/restart is advancing toward targeted operating rates, removing a major operational overhang. PBF Energy jumps as refining-margin tailwinds and Martinez restart progress come back into focus
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman/Quant coverage highlights sector upside — Recent commentary/quant ratings singled out refiners including PBF as beneficiaries of tighter jet/diesel markets, which supports bullish positioning by quant-driven investors. This can amplify momentum when cracks widen. Goldman: Oil market shock hits jet fuel, diesel harder; PBF, Par Pacific rated strong buy by Quant ratings
• Positive Sentiment: Mizuho raised its price target — Mizuho increased its PBF target to $45 (neutral rating), which narrows downside concerns and may support buy-side interest after the recent volatility. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes PBF’s momentum characteristics — A style-score/momentum write-up highlights technical and momentum metrics that can attract short?term traders, supporting volume-driven moves but not necessarily long-term fundamental change. Here’s Why PBF Energy (PBF) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: CEO 2025 pay disclosure — A DEF14A-based estimate shows CEO Matthew Lucey’s 2025 compensation declined ~12% vs. 2024; governance/comp metrics can interest some investors but are unlikely to be the primary driver of the move. PBF Energy Inc. ($PBF) President and CEO 2025 Pay Revealed
• Negative Sentiment: Large insider selling by control shareholder — Control Empresarial De Capital disclosed sales (including a 600,000?share sale reported Mar 17 at ~$44.43), continuing a pattern of recent insider liquidations; heavy insider selling can be interpreted as a negative governance/conviction signal and may cap upside if it persists. SEC Form 4 — Control Empresarial De Capital sale

About PBF Energy

PBF Energy, Inc is an independent petroleum refiner organized in 2008 and headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company began trading on the New York Stock Exchange in July 2012 under the ticker symbol PBF. Since its formation, PBF Energy has grown through acquisitions and operational optimization, positioning itself as a leading supplier of refined petroleum products in the United States.

The company owns and operates five refineries located along the U.S. Gulf Coast, East Coast and in the Pacific Northwest, with a combined crude oil processing capacity of approximately 900,000 barrels per day.