Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by California State Teachers Retirement System

California State Teachers Retirement System cut its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 4.5% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 354,087 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 16,712 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.12% of Valero Energy worth $87,488,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its position in 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 valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 134.0% in 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 period. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $329.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Scotiabank upped their target price on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. One investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.71.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy 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 completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero reaffirmed its quarterly dividend at $1.20 per share, payable August 31 to shareholders of record July 31. The continued payout reinforces the company’s shareholder-return strategy and may appeal to income-focused investors. Is Valero Using Its Steady Dividend To Redefine Its Cash Return Priorities?
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank raised its Valero EPS forecasts to $33.58 for fiscal 2026 from $32.09 and to $23.83 for fiscal 2027 from $23.00. The upgrades suggest improving expectations for refining profitability, although they remain below the broader current-year consensus of $36.46.
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks identified VLO as one of three preferred refining and marketing stocks, citing broad industry strength and the potential for continued support from refining margins. 3 Top Refining and Marketing Stocks Riding Industry Strength
• Neutral Sentiment: Previews for Valero’s second-quarter report point to elevated crack spreads and steady fuel demand as potential earnings drivers. Investors are focused on the company’s upcoming results for confirmation that current refining strength is sustainable. Valero Energy Q2 Earnings on Deck
• Negative Sentiment: Risks include high crude costs, volatility in renewable diesel and the possibility that the stock already reflects peak-cycle earnings. A valuation near recent highs leaves less margin for error if refining margins weaken or the second-quarter report disappoints. Valero Q2 Earnings Preview

Valero Energy Trading Up 1.4%

Shares of VLO opened at $303.04 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $89.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.02, a P/E/G ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $130.78 and a one year high of $320.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $267.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $237.27.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 36.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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