IMA Advisory Services Inc. Sells 2,394 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

IMA Advisory Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 9.7% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 22,347 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 2,394 shares during the quarter. IMA Advisory Services Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $5,522,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VLO. Woodline Partners LP grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,747 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,735 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $528,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 11.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 269,043 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $36,165,000 after purchasing an additional 27,291 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in Valero Energy by 0.9% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 145,810 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $19,600,000 after buying an additional 1,338 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $309.50 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $91.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.49, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.55. 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 stock’s fifty day moving average price is $258.97 and its 200 day moving average price is $229.32. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $130.78 and a 1 year high of $309.90.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 32.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 34.88%.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Key Valero Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valero expanded its share repurchase authorization, which can boost earnings per share over time and indicates the board sees value in the stock. Valero Energy Expands Share Repurchase Authorization Program
• Positive Sentiment: Valero declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.20 per share, reinforcing its appeal to income-focused investors and highlighting strong cash generation. Valero Energy Corporation Declares Regular Cash Dividend on Common Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Energy stocks rose late Friday afternoon, with the broader sector gaining on the day, which likely provided a supportive backdrop for VLO shares. Sector Update: Energy Stocks Rise Late Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, there was unusual put-option activity in Valero, suggesting some traders are hedging or positioning for near-term volatility rather than making a clear directional bet.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles also pointed to improving earnings estimates and momentum, which may be helping sentiment, though these were commentary pieces rather than new company announcements. Can Valero Energy (VLO) Run Higher on Rising Earnings Estimates?

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. TD Cowen upped their target price on Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Weiss Ratings lowered Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $253.06.

Valero Energy Profile

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.