COMPARE · Reviewed July 30, 2026
CVI vs PBF
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. CVI scored 60.6, PBF scored 52.5 — CVI leads.
Compare another set
CVI
CVR Energy, Inc.
60.6
$38.08 · $3.8B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
8.1
CVI leads
PBF
PBF Energy Inc.
52.5
$73.10 · $8.7B
fundamentals as of
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
CVI
stronger →← stronger
PBF
62
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
69
50
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
50
71
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
42
CVI and PBF split the three pillars evenly.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
CVI
PBF
$351mC
FCF
$743mC+
+17.9%B+
Rev
+13.5%B+
2.45D
D/E
0.64B
0.5xA
P/S
—
0.71A-
PEG
—
—
P/E
16.7xB
Winner per row is the stronger grade in our model; a tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
CVI
PBF
60% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
4% below
~-8%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-3%/yr
+91%
1-yr DCF upside
+16%
+152%
5-yr DCF upside
+5%
+281%
10-yr DCF upside
-10%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
CVI
Why this score
- Cyclical growth
PBF
Why this score
- Cyclical growth
The companies
CVICVR Energy, Inc.
Why now
Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing · market cap $3.8b. 9% off the 52-week high of $41.67. Revenue growing +18%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.71 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 5 sell-side analysts rate this an Underperform with a mean 1-yr target of $29.40 (implying -23% upside).
Moat
ROE 13% meets the long-run market sustainable threshold — solid but not differentiated; the durability comes from elsewhere. Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
D/E 2.45 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Net margin 0.8% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. Production-cost sensitivity — top-quartile cost producers generate cash through the cycle while marginal producers burn it; watch the cost-per-unit trend, not just headline revenue.
PBFPBF Energy Inc.
Why now
Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing · market cap $8.7b. Trading near 52-week high of $74.74 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. Revenue growing +14%, comfortably above the S&P median. 13 sell-side analysts rate this a Hold with a mean 1-yr target of $57.08 (implying -22% upside).
Moat
ROE 21% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
Trading within 2% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction. Net margin 3.9% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. Commodity exposure — earnings power tracks the price of the underlying commodity, not management execution. A 15-20% move in the commodity reprices the equity well before fundamentals catch up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.