Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) SVP Eric Fisher Sells 400 Shares of Stock

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) SVP Eric Fisher sold 400 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Valero Energy Trading Down 1.1%

Shares of NYSE VLO traded down $2.56 during trading on Friday, reaching $233.25. The company had a trading volume of 1,945,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,613,160. The stock has a market cap of $69.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.53, a PEG ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.70. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $196.53 and its 200-day moving average price is $177.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $99.00 and a 12 month high of $240.27.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share (EPS) 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 the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

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

Key Valero Energy News

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, providing upward pressure from a major Wall Street shop. Goldman Sachs price target raise (Benzinga)
• Positive Sentiment: Valero increased its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80), which can attract income-focused investors and support demand for the shares. Dividend disclosure (MarketBeat VLO)
• Positive Sentiment: Large institutional buying noted (e.g., Norges Bank and other funds adding sizable positions), signaling conviction from long-term investors in the refining cycle. Institutional activity (MarketBeat VLO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have adjusted fair-value estimates (example: a shift toward ~$202.72), generating mixed calls — some firms lift targets while others are more cautious depending on refining/crude assumptions. Analyst fair-value revisions (Yahoo)
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple investor-attention and “dividend thesis” articles (Zacks/Yahoo) are increasing visibility and may boost flows, but they do not change underlying fundamentals by themselves. Investor attention (Yahoo)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Eric A. Fisher disclosed sales of 8,311 shares (avg ~$227.69) and 400 shares (avg ~$238.60) this week — sizable disposals that can spook some investors despite his remaining holdings. SEC filing (Form 4)
• Negative Sentiment: Policy risk: the White House is reportedly considering a temporary Jones Act waiver to ease U.S. fuel shipping and tame pump prices — if enacted, lower domestic fuel prices could weigh on refiners’ margins and revenues. Jones Act waiver discussion (Yahoo)

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $195.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, December 11th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $193.20.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,177,191 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,959,065,000 after purchasing an additional 163,975 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its position in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,950,982 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,945,500,000 after buying an additional 63,919 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,141,511 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,089,897,000 after buying an additional 1,164,217 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $1,111,542,000. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $922,728,000 after acquiring an additional 394,693 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Company Profile

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.