1 Momentum Stock Riding Extraordinary Earnings

Dear WallStreetZen Member,

This week’s Smart Leverage Alert centers on HF Sinclair Corp. (DINO).

HF Sinclair is one of the largest independent refiners in the U.S., with renewables and specialty-lubricants businesses alongside its core fuel operations. It’s a cash machine when refining conditions are tight … And right now they’re about as tight as they get.

The setup is a momentum story powered by an extraordinary quarter. DINO has more than doubled over the past year and climbed roughly 28% in three months. In late October it reported a blowout third quarter: adjusted earnings beat estimates by about 50%, net income hit $2 billion, and refining margins nearly tripled from a year ago.

There’s a forward catalyst, too: management is advancing a plan to spin off its Lubricants and Specialties segment to unlock value, while running a $1.5 billion buyback and paying a steady dividend … Essentially handing the proceeds of a powerful cycle back to shareholders.

Wall Street is on board, with the analyst consensus rating DINO a Buy.

Our Zen Ratings model agrees emphatically. DINO earns an A rating ( the equivalent of a Strong Buy recommendation) placing it at the very top of more than 4,600 stocks, and it’s the #1-ranked name in the A-rated Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing industry.

Looking at the Component Grades behind that score, DINO ranks in the top 8% for Growth, the top 5% for Value, the top 3% for Sentiment, the top 3% for Momentum, and the top 2% for our Financials factor — cheap, growing, well-liked by the market, and financially exceptional.

Our Logic

With Zen Options Essentials, we use "Smart Leverage" — Deep-In-The-Money options that let you control shares for a fraction of the cost, with your maximum risk strictly defined from day one.

The "Smart Leverage" Setup: DINO Long Call

Given the strong fundamental case and the powerful uptrend in DINO, here’s how we’re structuring the trade using Smart Leverage — Deep-In-The-Money calls that move nearly dollar-for-dollar with the stock, but with strictly defined risk from day one.

Instead of committing about $11,336 to own 100 shares outright, a Deep-In-The-Money Call lets you control those same shares for about $3,436.

• The Play: $90 Strike Call (Expiring May 21, 2027)
• Delta: 0.8153 — Right in our sweet spot. This option moves nearly dollar-for-dollar with the stock. You get the upside with significantly less capital at risk.
• Intrinsic Value: ~78% — The vast majority of what you pay is real value, not time decay. This is what separates a Smart Leverage setup from the kind of speculative options trades that blow up amateur accounts.
• Leverage Multiple: 1.77x — Every dollar still works harder for you than the stock, while the deep ITM strike keeps meaningful downside protection versus a naked speculative call.
• The Target: For this position to double (+100%), DINO only needs to reach approximately $155.32 — a roughly 33% move in the stock that produces a 100% return on the option premium.

Why Options Over Shares?

A roughly 33% move in DINO stock would be a solid return for shareholders. In this Deep-In-The-Money option, that same move has the potential to double your investment while putting only about $3,436 at risk instead of $11,336.

That’s the power of Smart Leverage: stock-like upside with a fraction of the capital and strictly defined risk from day one.

What To Do Next?

DINO is just one of the setups our Zen Options Essentials TradeFinder identified this week.

And the best part? You don't need to spend hours doing research to find these trades. The TradeFinder does the heavy lifting — scanning for Deep-In-The-Money options with the optimal Delta, the right Intrinsic Value, and the right Leverage Multiple — so you can evaluate a trade like this in minutes.

How is that possible?

Because the best options trades aren't about picking exotic strategies or timing the market perfectly. They're about finding great stocks…and using Smart Leverage to control your risk while amplifying your upside.

EXACTLY what the Zen Ratings model is built to find.

EXACTLY what this methodology has been delivering.

If you'd like to see how this entire methodology works, start by watching our presentation, "Options Trading with the Zen Ratings." It walks through the Smart Leverage framework, the TradeFinder, and how we identify these opportunities step by step.

Options Trading with the Zen Ratings >

Or, perhaps you are ready to start using Smart Leverage by becoming a Zen Options Essentials member. Click below to join: 

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Happy Investing,

Mijusko Sibalic

Senior Writer, Zen Options Essentials

Want to get in touch? Email us at news@wallstreetzen.com.