Erste Group Bank Raises Earnings Estimates for Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank boosted their FY2027 earnings estimates for Valero Energy in a research note issued on Thursday, August 27th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now expects that the oil and gas company will post earnings per share of $28.75 for the year, up from their previous estimate of $25.43. Erste Group Bank currently has a “Hold” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Valero Energy’s current full-year earnings is $40.70 per share.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $329.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Barclays raised their target price on Valero Energy from $279.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Mizuho upped their price target on Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.00.

Valero Energy Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of VLO opened at $359.97 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $103.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.94, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $305.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $260.60. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $150.10 and a twelve month high of $362.79.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the 1st 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. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 57.6% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the first quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 134.0% in the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.92%.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings forecasts: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2027 EPS estimate for Valero to $28.75 from $25.43, indicating improved expectations for the company’s future profitability. The bank maintained a “Hold” rating, and the revised estimate remains below the broader current-year consensus of $40.70. Valero Energy analyst earnings estimate update
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum-focused buying interest: Zacks highlighted Valero as a strong momentum stock and added it to its Rank #1 (“Strong Buy”) growth-stock list. These ratings can attract additional interest from quantitative and momentum-oriented investors. Zacks Valero momentum analysis Zacks Strong Buy growth-stock list
• Positive Sentiment: Recent performance remains constructive: Zacks reported that VLO gained 1% over the past week, reinforcing the stock’s recent momentum. The company’s latest quarterly results also exceeded earnings and revenue expectations, helping support investor confidence. Valero Energy weekly performance analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry efficiency context: A separate report examined Phillips 66’s target to reduce refining costs to $5.50 per barrel by 2027. While not specific to VLO, greater efficiency across the refining industry could influence competitive expectations for Valero. Phillips 66 refining cost analysis

Valero Energy Company 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.