Diversify Wealth Management LLC Purchases Shares of 2,110 Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Diversify Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 2,110 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $530,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Norges Bank bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth about $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 2,635.7% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $154,736,000 after purchasing an additional 915,782 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $276,224,000 after acquiring an additional 560,116 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $922,728,000 after purchasing an additional 394,693 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an “underperform” rating and set a $203.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Zacks Research downgraded Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.06.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero expanded its share repurchase authorization, which can boost earnings per share over time and indicates the board sees value in the stock. Valero Energy Expands Share Repurchase Authorization Program
• Positive Sentiment: Valero declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.20 per share, reinforcing its appeal to income-focused investors and highlighting strong cash generation. Valero Energy Corporation Declares Regular Cash Dividend on Common Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Energy stocks rose late Friday afternoon, with the broader sector gaining on the day, which likely provided a supportive backdrop for VLO shares. Sector Update: Energy Stocks Rise Late Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, there was unusual put-option activity in Valero, suggesting some traders are hedging or positioning for near-term volatility rather than making a clear directional bet.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles also pointed to improving earnings estimates and momentum, which may be helping sentiment, though these were commentary pieces rather than new company announcements. Can Valero Energy (VLO) Run Higher on Rising Earnings Estimates?

Valero Energy Stock Up 3.1%

Valero Energy stock opened at $309.50 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $258.97 and a two-hundred day moving average of $229.32. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $130.78 and a twelve month high of $309.90. The stock has a market capitalization of $91.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.49, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 32.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valero Energy 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.