Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE Has $1.95 Million Stock Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE reduced its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 51.8% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,880 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 8,455 shares during the period. Smithbridge Asset Management Inc. DE’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,947,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $28,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 157.0% during the 4th quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VLO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $247.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on Valero Energy to $279 and kept an overweight rating, signaling additional upside for the stock.
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank increased its FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates for Valero, reflecting stronger profit expectations.
• Positive Sentiment: A recent bullish analysis on Valero suggested the refining upcycle could outlast near-term geopolitical concerns, which may support refining margins and earnings.

Valero Energy Stock Up 3.5%

Shares of VLO stock opened at $269.59 on Thursday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $130.78 and a 12-month high of $272.17. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $248.37 and a 200-day moving average of $219.60. The company has a market capitalization of $80.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its 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. The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 27.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 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.