Feb 18 (Reuters) - HF Sinclair ( DINO ) topped Wall

Street estimates for fourth-quarter profit on ​Wednesday, helped

by higher refining margins ‌for its products, and said CEO Tim Go

would take ⁠a voluntary leave of absence from his ⁠duties.

U.S. fuel maker margins have ‌begun to ‌rebound from

multi-year lows touched in 2024, a pullback that ​followed the

earlier spike triggered ‌by sanctions on Russia in the wake of

its invasion of Ukraine, which ​had constricted global ​supply.

Quarterly U.S. ‌refinery margins, measured by the 3-2-1 crack

spread , were up about 45% on an ⁠average in the

fourth quarter from a year ⁠earlier.

HF Sinclair's ( DINO ) adjusted refinery gross margin was up at

$16.28 per barrel during the period, compared with $6.68 per

barrel a year ago.

The ⁠company's ‌refining segment reported an adjusted core

profit ‌of $403 million, compared with a loss of $169 ⁠million a

year earlier.

It posted an adjusted profit of $1.20 per share for the

three months ended December 31, compared with analysts' average

estimate of 45 cents per share, according to data compiled by

LSEG.

Separately, HF ​Sinclair said Go would be replaced by the

chairperson of the board, Franklin Myers, on ​a temporary basis.