Kestra Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO – Free Report) by 15.7% during the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 60,489 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,197 shares during the quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $14,946,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2,635.7% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $154,736,000 after acquiring an additional 915,782 shares during the period. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $276,224,000 after acquiring an additional 560,116 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $922,728,000 after acquiring an additional 394,693 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Weiss Ratings cut Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Scotiabank increased their target price on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $247.59.
Valero Energy News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Valero’s Gulf Coast refining network is benefiting from strong fuel demand, elevated crack spreads, and rising exports, which should support refining profitability. Strong Fuel Demand & Elevated Crack Spreads Support Valero’s Outlook
- Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent Russell reclassification into larger-cap and growth benchmarks may be drawing incremental index demand for the stock, while lower crude costs can help preserve refining margins. Why Valero (VLO) Is Up 5.0% After Russell Reclassification And Refining Margin Tailwinds
- Positive Sentiment: Renewed Middle East tensions and rising oil prices are keeping refining margins in focus, which can be supportive for Valero if crude costs remain softer than product prices. Can Valero Energy Benefit From Renewed Middle East Tensions?
- Neutral Sentiment: Valero is also being highlighted as a trending stock, which signals elevated investor attention but does not by itself change fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.
Valero Energy Price Performance
Shares of VLO stock traded down $0.71 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $280.54. 1,931,882 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,034,427. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $253.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $224.56. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $130.78 and a 1-year high of $287.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market cap of $83.30 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55.
Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The business had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Valero Energy Dividend Announcement
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.
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.
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