NewEdge Wealth LLC Reduces Stock Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

NewEdge Wealth LLC trimmed its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 33.4% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,167 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 4,597 shares during the period. NewEdge Wealth LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,265,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of 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 worth $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 134.0% during 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 last quarter. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.9%

Valero Energy stock opened at $302.48 on Friday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $130.78 and a 1 year high of $320.24. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $265.22 and its 200-day moving average is $234.39. 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 company has a market cap of $89.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.98, a PEG ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 36.46 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target on Valero Energy to $357 from a prior level, reinforcing a bullish view and suggesting additional upside from current levels. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target to $357.00
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reaffirmed its overweight rating and set a $329 price target, signaling continued confidence in Valero’s refining business and valuation. Valero Energy had its “overweight” rating reaffirmed by Piper Sandler
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s board affirmed its regular quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, which supports the stock’s appeal for income-focused investors and may be contributing to recent momentum. Valero Energy (VLO) Eyes Earnings And Crude Supply Shifts, Is The Stock Fully Priced?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Valero as a strong momentum stock, reflecting technical strength that can attract traders and trend-following investors. Here’s Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Valero’s earnings to grow when it reports next week, but Zacks also said the setup does not look especially favorable for an earnings beat, creating a mixed near-term outlook. Valero Energy (VLO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero was noted to be attracting unusually high investor attention on Zacks, which indicates rising interest but does not by itself change the fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: One report said Valero underperformed peers on Thursday, suggesting some short-term profit-taking or relative weakness versus other refiners. Valero Energy Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Thursday. Scotiabank lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $266.71.

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.