Delta Financial Advisors LLC Acquires Shares of 3,946 Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Delta Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund bought 3,946 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $672,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VLO. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% during the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1,277.8% in the second quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 248 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evolution Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $43,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $187.00 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.60. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $99.00 and a fifty-two week high of $194.35. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $174.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $162.50. The stock has a market cap of $57.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.04, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.77.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The oil and gas company reported $3.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.15 by $0.51. The company had revenue of $32.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.80 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 8.69% and a net margin of 1.21%.Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be given a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 94.36%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total transaction of $1,728,540.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 134,196 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $23,352,787.92. The trade was a 6.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Bank of America reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “strong-buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (up from $181.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Friday, October 24th. Barclays increased their target price on Valero Energy from $169.00 to $184.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 17th. Morgan Stanley cut Valero Energy from an “overweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and raised their target price for the stock from $160.00 to $175.00 in a report on Friday, October 3rd. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $183.00.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Board raises quarterly cash dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80), a 6.2% increase from the prior payout — a signal of cash-flow confidence and higher shareholder return. Valero Energy Corporation Increases Regular Cash Dividend on Common Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Valero bought a Venezuelan crude cargo under Washington’s deal with Caracas — this provides an additional, potentially lower-cost feedstock supply for Gulf Coast refineries and could help downstream margins. Exclusive: Valero buys Venezuelan oil cargo as part of Washington’s deal with Caracas
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary note softer WTI/crude under $60 can boost refiners like Valero by lowering feedstock costs and supporting margins — a favorable backdrop for expected earnings. Softness in Oil Price: What Lies Ahead for VLO’s Refining Operations?
• Positive Sentiment: ETF/asset manager mentions: VanEck highlighted VLO among oil plays, which can attract fund flows and investor attention. VanEck spotlights SLB, HAL, BKR, PSX, and VLO as oil plays
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage and valuation pieces note VLO’s earnings cadence and mixed valuation signals (P/E vs DCF) — useful context but not an immediate catalyst. A Look At Valero Energy (VLO) Valuation As P/E And DCF Send Mixed Signals
• Neutral Sentiment: Inclusion in broader dividend/safe-stock roundups and S&P 500/refining scale pieces reinforces visibility but is not a near-term earnings driver. Goldman Sachs Says Correction Could Be Coming: 5 Safe Dividend Stocks From The Conviction List
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research downgraded VLO from “strong-buy” to “hold,” which could pressure sentiment among some retail and model-driven investors. Zacks.com

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.