Candriam S.C.A. Purchases 60,126 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Candriam S.C.A. raised its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 146.8% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 101,094 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 60,126 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $24,978,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Woodline Partners LP increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,747 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $3,532,000 after acquiring an additional 7,735 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $259,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares in the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth $528,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in Valero Energy by 11.3% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 269,043 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $36,165,000 after acquiring an additional 27,291 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 145,810 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $19,600,000 after acquiring an additional 1,338 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $247.59.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock traded down $0.71 on Friday, hitting $280.54. The stock had a trading volume of 1,931,882 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,034,427. The stock has a market cap of $83.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $130.78 and a twelve month high of $287.05. The business’s 50 day moving average is $253.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $224.56.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s Gulf Coast refining network is benefiting from strong fuel demand, elevated crack spreads, and rising exports, which should support refining profitability. Strong Fuel Demand & Elevated Crack Spreads Support Valero’s Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent Russell reclassification into larger-cap and growth benchmarks may be drawing incremental index demand for the stock, while lower crude costs can help preserve refining margins. Why Valero (VLO) Is Up 5.0% After Russell Reclassification And Refining Margin Tailwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed Middle East tensions and rising oil prices are keeping refining margins in focus, which can be supportive for Valero if crude costs remain softer than product prices. Can Valero Energy Benefit From Renewed Middle East Tensions?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero is also being highlighted as a trending stock, which signals elevated investor attention but does not by itself change fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. 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 value of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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.