How does the current spread over Treasuries for HFâŻSinclairâs notes compare to historical spreads for the company and its peers?
Current spread:âŻThe 5.5âŻ% senior notes were priced at 99.29âŻ%, which translates to an effective yield of roughly 5.54âŻ%. Using the current 10âyear Treasury benchmark (ââŻ4.50âŻ% as of early AugustâŻ2025), the notes are trading at an approximately 100âbasisâpoint (1âŻ%) spread over Treasuries.
Historical perspective & peer comparison:âŻHFâŻSinclairâs recent issuance is markedly tighter than its own historical spreads, which have typically hovered 150â200âŻbps above Treasuries for similarâmaturity debt. Likewise, peers in the midâstream/energy sectorâsuch as PBF Energy, Marathon Petroleum, and PhillipsâŻ66âhave been issuing 10âyear senior notes at 120â180âŻbps spreads. The current 100âbp spread therefore represents a 30â100âŻbps compression relative both to HFâŻSinclairâs own historic pricing and to the broader peer set.
Trading implications:âŻThe tighter spread signals strong demand for HFâŻSinclair credit and a perception of lower credit risk (e.g., solid cashâflow coverage, recent asset sales, and a stable dividend policy). For fixedâincome traders, this creates a relative value opportunity on the highâyield âenergyâ spread curve: shortâduration âenergyâ spread ETFs or direct HFâŻSinclair notes may be overpriced relative to peers. A sensible play is to **sell the spread (go long Treasury or a broader energy highâyield spread index while buying the DINO notes) if you anticipate spreads reverting to the 150â200âŻbps range as market liquidity eases or if the companyâs cashâflow outlook weakens. Conversely, if the credit fundamentals continue to improve, the spread could stay compressed, supporting a holdâorâadd strategy on the notes, especially for investors seeking a modest yield premium (ââŻ5.5âŻ%) with relatively low credit risk.