Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Raised to $490.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its target price hoisted by Citigroup from $485.00 to $490.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have a neutral rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on VLO. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $365.00 to $457.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $395.00 to $414.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Barclays boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $441.00 to $443.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $375.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $350.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $379.94.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $419.19 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.23. Valero Energy has a 1 year low of $159.90 and a 1 year high of $461.52. The business has a 50-day moving average of $393.03 and a 200-day moving average of $310.61. The company has a market capitalization of $120.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 0.59.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.17 by $2.73. The firm had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.71 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 8.44% and a return on equity of 47.50%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 43.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.66 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 54.22 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 2.9% in the third quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,237 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,743,000 after buying an additional 347 shares in the last quarter. First Interstate Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $223,000. Sigma Planning Corp increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 0.4% during the third quarter. Sigma Planning Corp now owns 7,171 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,779,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the period. Straight Path Wealth Management bought a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth about $300,000. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 27.8% in the third quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 267 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $103,000 after buying an additional 58 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Exceptional Q3 earnings: Valero reported adjusted EPS of $23.90, well above the roughly $21.17 consensus, while revenue increased 43.3% year over year to $46.1 billion. Net income surged to $6.8 billion from $1.1 billion, driven primarily by sharply higher refining margins. Valero Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Favorable operating outlook: Management highlighted tight fuel markets, resilient demand, record ethanol production, improving renewable diesel and ethanol profitability, and expectations that fuel margins could rise again. The company also cited $9.8 billion in cash and disciplined capital spending, supporting financial flexibility. Valero Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Refining and Cash Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain constructive: Barclays raised its price target to $443 and retained an overweight rating, while Wells Fargo lifted its target to $489 and also maintained an overweight rating. Citigroup increased its target to $490, although it kept a neutral rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Refining-sector momentum is strong but cyclical: Coverage emphasizes that Valero and other refiners are benefiting from tight fuel inventories and unusually high margins. Those conditions support near-term earnings but may be vulnerable to changes in crude prices, fuel demand, supply, or refinery utilization. Valero kicks off refiner results with record quarterly profit on higher margins
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and analyst disagreement are weighing on sentiment: Freedom Broker reaffirmed a sell rating and assigned a $276 price target, implying substantial downside from the referenced trading level. TD Cowen raised its target to $400 but maintained a hold rating, underscoring concerns that much of the refining upside may already be reflected in VLO’s valuation.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company’s primary business is refining and marketing transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero operates refineries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its refining operations also produce asphalt, petrochemical feedstocks and other petroleum-based products. The company markets fuel through wholesale channels and branded retail networks, including Valero, Beacon and Shamrock-branded locations.

In addition to conventional refining, Valero has businesses focused on renewable fuels.