Daily Discussion Thread for January 05, 2026

#Valero Refines PDVSA Venezuelan Crude And They Are Up Nearly 10% Since The Capture Of President Maduro ----------- I just bought a small amount to see how it does in the short term. I've bought it in the past and saw it rise about 60% during the pandemic til there was that mini crash and I had to dump all my stocks because of that and being broke. I didn't end up with much gains at the end of the day. I believe that this unfolding situation will lead to gains for Valero but since the operation was so unexpected I urge caution, buying a small amount or tracking it before buying a lot. One important thing I almost neglected to mention was this jump was possibly a bit of a recovery as the stock crashed out in the middle of December. If you look back 1 month they are only up 2%. I still believe it's a good buy though. The reason I bought it in the past is because prepandemic I was a journalist who mostly focused on Venezuela although I reported on other conflicts. I reported on Venezuela at the height of the previous conflict between the Trump administration and Venezuela in 2019. It is one of very few stocks I ever held because I have a depth of knowledge in Venezuelan affairs.