denkapparat Operations GmbH Buys 3,182 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

denkapparat Operations GmbH raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 183.7% during the second quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 4,914 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 3,182 shares during the quarter. denkapparat Operations GmbH’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,280,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VLO. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 7.7% during the 2nd quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,306 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $601,000 after buying an additional 164 shares during the period. NEOS Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 15.3% during the second quarter. NEOS Investment Management LLC now owns 50,105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $13,049,000 after buying an additional 6,649 shares during the period. iSAM Funds UK Ltd increased its position in Valero Energy by 15.9% during the second quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd now owns 2,600 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $677,000 after acquiring an additional 357 shares during the last quarter. Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at $195,000. Finally, Nykredit A S purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $33,121,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Trading Up 1.3%

NYSE VLO opened at $370.84 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $106.78 billion, a PE ratio of 15.39, a PEG ratio of 0.42 and a beta of 0.57. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $153.20 and a 12 month high of $375.11. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $313.01 and its 200-day moving average price is $264.11. 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 announced 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. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.28 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.7 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.92%.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler raised its price target to $435 from $329 and upgraded Valero to “Overweight,” implying further upside from recent levels. The revision is a significant boost to investor sentiment. Benzinga analyst note
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group Bank increased its earnings estimates for Valero, suggesting expectations for stronger refining profitability and supporting the stock’s valuation. Erste Group Bank Boosts Earnings Estimates for Valero Energy
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo indicated that Valero’s stock is expected to rise, adding another favorable sell-side view as the shares approach record levels. Valero Energy Stock Price Expected to Rise
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added VLO to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth-stock list on September 2 and September 3. The repeated ranking reflects favorable earnings and momentum indicators. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for September 3rd
• Positive Sentiment: Valero outperformed the broader stock market in the latest session, with the rally likely reinforced by analyst upgrades, higher earnings expectations and continued investor interest in refiners. Valero Energy Laps the Stock Market
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero reached a new 12-month high, highlighting strong momentum but also raising the risk that much of the positive outlook is already reflected in the share price. Valero Energy Hits New 12-Month High
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha analysis downgraded Valero to “Hold,” arguing that the market may already be pricing in the benefit of closed Russian oil flows and related refining-market support. This represents a valuation and risk warning after the recent advance. Valero Energy: Market Pricing Closed Russian Flows

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Zacks Research raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $329.00 to $435.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Valero Energy from $356.00 to $389.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten 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, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $296.18.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction 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 approximately $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.