Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Raised to $457.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price objective increased by The Goldman Sachs Group from $365.00 to $457.00 in a report released on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

VLO has been the subject of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $255.00 to $411.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $355.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, TD Cowen upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $335.12.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO opened at $386.83 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $347.90 and its 200 day moving average price is $283.96. Valero Energy has a 12-month low of $155.29 and a 12-month high of $419.04. The firm has a market cap of $111.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.05, a PEG ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The company 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%.Valero Energy’s revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.28 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 49.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.2%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 19.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Eric Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the 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 transaction, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VLO. QRG Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 58,558 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $15,251,000 after acquiring an additional 3,037 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 24.1% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 6,454 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,681,000 after purchasing an additional 1,255 shares during the last quarter. Security National Bank of SO Dak purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $108,000. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.6% in the second quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 1,016 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $265,000 after purchasing an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Core Capital Management & Research inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $80,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators highlighted Valero as a relatively low-beta energy stock with positive price momentum and potential support from high oil prices, market volatility and solid refining-sector growth drivers. Keep Portfolio Swings in Check With VLO, PBF, FET & E
• Positive Sentiment: Tight global refining markets, limited capacity and robust demand are being cited as catalysts for stronger product margins at Valero and other refiners. This has reinforced optimism around near-term profitability. Tight Global Markets Drive Refining Sector: 3 Stocks to Consider
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs coverage reportedly indicates that Valero’s stock could continue to rise, adding to the constructive analyst backdrop. Valero Energy Stock Price Expected to Rise
• Neutral Sentiment: VLO has become a heavily searched or “trending” stock on Zacks, increasing visibility but not necessarily signaling a change in fundamentals. Valero Energy Is a Trending Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group issued commentary on Valero’s fiscal 2026 earnings outlook, while Jefferies maintained a Hold rating. These reports may temper enthusiasm despite the broader positive momentum. Erste Group Weighs in on Valero Energy FY2026 Earnings Valero Energy Earns Hold Rating
• Negative Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option buying—21,302 contracts, more than double typical volume—signals that some traders are hedging against a pullback or positioning defensively.
• Negative Sentiment: Reports that President Trump wants to ban U.S. diesel exports pressured refiners because such a policy could disrupt Valero’s export channels, inventories and refining margins, although no enacted policy was cited. Trump Wants to Ban Diesel Exports
• Negative Sentiment: Investment manager Steve Weiss disclosed that he exited Valero after a roughly 35% gain in a month, citing long-term skepticism toward energy stocks; the comments could encourage profit-taking. Steve Weiss Dumped an Energy Stock

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Its primary business is refining crude oil into transportation fuels and other products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, lubricants and petrochemical feedstocks.

Valero operates refineries and related facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and markets its products through wholesale and commercial channels in North America and other international markets.