Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Sets New 1-Year High Following Analyst Upgrade

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) reached a new 52-week high on Monday after Raymond James Financial raised their price target on the stock from $350.00 to $450.00. Raymond James Financial currently has a strong-buy rating on the stock. Valero Energy traded as high as $399.40 and last traded at $398.0460, with a volume of 371747 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $390.42.

VLO has been the topic of a number of other reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $355.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 8th. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $279.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $356.00 to $389.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $317.41.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Raymond James raised its price target to $450 from $350 and upgraded VLO to “strong buy.” The new target implies additional upside and provides a fresh catalyst for investor interest. Raymond James price-target upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: VLO was included in Zacks’ Rank #1 “Strong Buy” growth-stock list. The recognition reflects favorable growth and earnings characteristics and may attract momentum-oriented investors. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for September 15th
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to point to Valero’s refining advantages. Its access to heavy crude, constrained refining capacity and solid balance sheet could support margins and cash generation. A separate Zacks analysis argued that these strengths make the company attractive despite its higher valuation. Valero Energy Rallies 148% in a Year
• Positive Sentiment: Michael Burry reportedly retains a sizable VLO position. His continued ownership adds to the stock’s investor visibility and reinforces the bullish sentiment surrounding its strong performance. VLO Stock Heads for Best Year Since 1982

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $1,111,542,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $922,728,000 after purchasing an additional 394,693 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 11.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,033,310 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,243,630,000 after purchasing an additional 516,975 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 9.4% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,969,320 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $733,660,000 after purchasing an additional 254,604 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 18.4% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,842,339 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $702,285,000 after purchasing an additional 442,177 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $114.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.48, a PEG ratio of 0.30 and a beta of 0.57. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $331.87 and a 200 day moving average price of $274.51.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The company had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 41.95 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st were given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 19.92%.

Valero Energy Company Profile

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.