Los Angeles Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO – Free Report) by 200.4% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 372,640 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 248,586 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $63,386,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.
Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 32.9% during the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Triumph Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $35,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Valero Energy News
Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Valero as one of the best low-beta stocks to buy right away, pointing to recent gains, solid trading volume, and the appeal of defensive energy exposure amid market volatility. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note said cleaner transportation fuels are powering Valero’s growth, citing expansion in renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and ethanol as longer-term cash flow drivers. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Valero was also featured as a strong value and growth name, with Zacks assigning it favorable rankings that may reinforce investor confidence in the stock’s earnings and valuation profile. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Valero’s refining strength was emphasized again in a Zacks article arguing that high oil prices should not fully derail margins because of tight global refining capacity and low fuel inventories. Article Title
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple headlines noted that Valero recently hit a 52-week high and has outperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, suggesting strong momentum and supportive fundamentals. Article Title
- Neutral Sentiment: One article discussed whether VLO’s run can continue after reaching a 52-week high, but it mainly framed the question around existing fundamentals rather than delivering a clear new catalyst. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance piece flagged possible bearish signals from insider stock sales over the past year, which could temper enthusiasm if investors focus on governance or insider sentiment. Article Title
- Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argued Valero may be a great business but at the wrong price, implying valuation could be a headwind after the stock’s strong run. Article Title
Valero Energy Stock Performance
Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 26.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Valero Energy Announces Dividend
The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of brokerages have recently commented on VLO. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $255.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings raised Valero Energy from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Zacks Research raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Scotiabank boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $243.65.
Check Out Our Latest Report on VLO
Insider Transactions at Valero Energy
In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total value of $1,892,331.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,618,080.98. This represents a 16.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.
About Valero Energy
Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.
In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.
Featured Articles
- Five stocks we like better than Valero Energy
- Samsara Just Answered The AI Question—Is Wall Street Ready To Listen?
- IREN’s 800MW Bet Flips the AI Power Switch
- CrowdStrike Earnings Beat Sparks Selloff—Buy the Dip?
- Tesla’s EV Rebound Leaves Rivian and Lucid Facing a Tougher Investor Test
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO – Free Report).
Receive News & Ratings for Valero Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valero Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
