Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Wells Fargo & Company Analyst Says

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target lifted by investment analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $389.00 to $485.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price objective indicates a potential upside of 6.72% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on VLO. Weiss Ratings raised Valero Energy from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $255.00 to $411.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Zacks Research upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $467.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $382.62.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:VLO traded down $1.99 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $454.47. The stock had a trading volume of 436,122 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,317,468. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $374.20 and a 200-day moving average price of $299.88. 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 stock has a market cap of $130.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.87, a PEG ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.59. Valero Energy has a fifty-two week low of $155.29 and a fifty-two week high of $461.52.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion for 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%. Valero Energy’s revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $2.28 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 51.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Moore Capital Management LP acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $13,193,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 192,430 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $47,546,000 after acquiring an additional 7,702 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in 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 valued at $15,251,000 after acquiring an additional 3,037 shares in the last quarter. TrueMark Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $8,921,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 377.1% during the first quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 413,437 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $102,152,000 after purchasing an additional 326,777 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup sharply raises price target: Citigroup lifted its target for Valero from $302 to $485, implying additional upside from the recent trading level, although it retained a “Neutral” rating. The substantial target increase was the clearest immediate catalyst for investor interest. Citigroup raises Valero price target
• Positive Sentiment: Higher earnings expectations: Erste Group Bank raised its FY2026 EPS forecast for Valero to $51.71 from $48.02, above the consensus estimate of $51.31. It also increased its FY2027 forecast to $42.23 from $36.86, signaling improved expectations for the refining company’s profitability. Erste still rates the shares “Hold.”
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks adds VLO to its Strong Buy growth list: Valero was included among Zacks’ top growth stocks for October 14, potentially attracting additional momentum-oriented buying. Zacks Strong Buy growth stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst signals: Mizuho raised its Valero target to $434, while DBS maintained a “Hold” rating. These actions suggest analysts recognize improving fundamentals but remain cautious after the stock’s strong run.
• Negative Sentiment: Oil-market uncertainty remains: Houthi attacks on Saudi infrastructure could support crude prices, but OPEC’s softer demand outlook and a new U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve release could pressure prices. For Valero, shifting crude costs and refining margins create both upside potential and downside risk. Oil stocks and conflicting crude market signals

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.