Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI Raises Stake in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI raised its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 31.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 6,958 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,675 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,812,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 134.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices, above $4 per gallon, may support attractive refining margins for efficient refiners such as Valero. The favorable industry backdrop could improve cash generation and near-term earnings prospects. 4 Refining Stocks to Buy as Gas Prices Top $4 a Gallon
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” lists covering growth, value and overall stock ideas. These rankings reflect favorable quantitative factors and may increase buying interest. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 17th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are moving Valero’s earnings estimates higher, suggesting improving expectations for profitability and potentially continued upward momentum. The company’s latest quarterly results already showed a substantial earnings and revenue beat, strengthening the fundamental case. Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for Valero Energy
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high put-option activity was reported, with investors purchasing 23,642 puts—179% above average daily volume. This may indicate increased hedging or bearish speculation, although options activity alone does not establish a clear direction for the stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $347.25 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $285.70 and its two-hundred day moving average is $249.58. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $135.02 and a twelve month high of $350.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $99.98 billion, a PE ratio of 14.41, a P/E/G ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The business had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.28 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.92%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Weiss Ratings raised Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $350.00 price target on Valero Energy in a report on Monday, August 3rd. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “underperform” rating and set a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $288.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

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 value of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.