Eric Fisher Sells 8,311 Shares of Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) SVP Eric Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total value of $1,892,331.59. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. This represents a 16.44% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO stock opened at $230.57 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $197.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $177.61. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market capitalization of $68.95 billion, a PE ratio of 30.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.70. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $99.00 and a 52-week high of $240.27.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The company had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 5th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 62.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% in the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. grew its position in Valero Energy by 157.0% during the fourth 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 buying an additional 124 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $237 and kept a Buy rating, offering a near-term catalyst and institutional endorsement that can support the share price. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Valero increased its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80), which strengthens the income argument for the stock and can attract yield-focused buyers. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Notable institutional accumulation has been reported (several funds adding positions), signalling conviction from longer-term investors in a refining recovery. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are revising fair-value assumptions (example fair value moved to ~$202.72), producing mixed calls — some firms lift targets, others trim them depending on refining/crude assumptions. This creates divergent analyst signals rather than a clear consensus catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several investor-attention and dividend-themed write-ups (Zacks/Yahoo) are increasing visibility; helpful for flows but not a direct fundamental change. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Eric A. Fisher disclosed sizable sales this week (8,311 shares at ~ $227.69 and an additional 400 shares at ~$238.60). Large insider disposals can spook short-term sentiment even though he retains a substantial holding. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Policy risk: reports that the White House is considering a temporary Jones Act waiver to ease fuel shipping could, if enacted, lower domestic fuel prices and compress refiners’ margins — a material industry risk for Valero. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have issued reports on VLO shares. Mizuho reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $192.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $195.00 target price (down from $198.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $193.20.

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.