Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Stock Has Consensus Target Price of $335.12

Shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have assigned a hold recommendation, nine have assigned a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1 year target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $348.81.

Several research firms recently issued reports on VLO. Citigroup upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. TD Cowen upped their price target on Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $355.00 to $450.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 8th. Mizuho upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $356.00 to $389.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 1st.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $405.96 on Thursday. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $155.29 and a twelve month high of $419.04. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a market capitalization of $116.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.84, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.59. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $356.53 and its 200 day moving average is $289.88.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The business had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 49.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VLO. QRG Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 5.5% in the second quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 58,558 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $15,251,000 after buying an additional 3,037 shares during the period. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 24.1% during the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 6,454 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,681,000 after acquiring an additional 1,255 shares during the period. Security National Bank of SO Dak bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $108,000. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.6% in the 2nd quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 1,016 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $265,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Core Capital Management & Research inc. bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $80,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: A Power Inflow alert indicated unusually strong buying activity from institutional and retail investors, a signal closely followed by order-flow traders. Valero Energy Shares Up Over 3% After Key Trading Signal
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks said Valero has a strong earnings-surprise record and currently meets the key criteria associated with a likely quarterly earnings beat. The company’s latest reported quarter also exceeded consensus estimates on both earnings and revenue, reinforcing investor confidence. Will Valero Energy Beat Estimates Again?
• Positive Sentiment: VLO was included in Zacks’ Rank #1 “Strong Buy” growth-stock list, adding to the stock’s favorable short-term momentum and quantitative-screen support. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for October 2nd
• Positive Sentiment: Refiners have outperformed integrated oil companies as investors focus on potentially stronger fuel margins. Tight distillate inventories and geopolitical shipping risks could support diesel prices and Valero’s refining profitability. Why Valero Energy Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Bank of America raised its price target from $395 to $414 but maintained a “neutral” rating, implying limited upside from the reported trading level. Brokerages overall have given VLO a “moderate buy” consensus, though some older targets are substantially lower.
• Negative Sentiment: G7 countries plan to release up to 100 million barrels of crude and diesel reserves over four months. The expected increase in supply pushed oil and diesel prices lower, potentially reducing refining margins and near-term earnings expectations for Valero. G7 Plans Release of Emergency Oil and Diesel Reserves
• Negative Sentiment: Recent insider activity cited three sales and no purchases, while institutional positioning was mixed, with several major investors reducing their holdings. These trends may temper bullish sentiment after VLO’s strong rally.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international petroleum refining, renewable fuels and marketing company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1980, the company processes crude oil and other feedstocks into transportation fuels and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero’s refined products include gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, lubricants and petrochemical feedstocks. The company also produces and markets ethanol and renewable diesel, including through its Diamond Green Diesel joint venture with Darling Ingredients.