Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Reaches New 52-Week High on Analyst Upgrade

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) shares hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday after Citigroup raised their price target on the stock from $259.00 to $302.00. Citigroup currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Valero Energy traded as high as $287.05 and last traded at $287.5160, with a volume of 1931882 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $280.69.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday. TD Cowen lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Zacks Research lowered Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. Weiss Ratings cut Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 8th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.06.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup raised its price target on Valero Energy to $302 from $259, while Raymond James lifted its target to $340 and reiterated a strong-buy view, signaling continued analyst confidence in the stock’s outlook.
• Positive Sentiment: Valero saw unusually large call option buying, with 13,172 contracts traded versus an average of 8,412, suggesting traders are positioning for further upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Articles citing renewed Middle East tensions and disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz point to higher gasoline and refined-product prices, which can support Valero’s refining margins and earnings.
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage also highlighted Valero’s strong stock performance over the past year and year to date, reinforcing momentum-driven interest from investors.
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero was mentioned in broader market commentary about energy stocks benefiting from higher U.S. gas prices, but this was not a company-specific development.
• Neutral Sentiment: A Zacks note said Valero has outperformed the market recently, but it was more of a performance recap than a new fundamental catalyst.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 6,670 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. now owns 916 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $239,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 975 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $159,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 32.9% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Gradient Investments LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1.1% during the second quarter. Gradient Investments LLC now owns 4,810 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,253,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

The firm’s fifty day moving average is $255.16 and its 200 day moving average is $226.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.82, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

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

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

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.