Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-one brokerages that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, nine have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $253.0588.

A number of research firms recently commented on VLO. Weiss Ratings downgraded Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Zacks Research cut shares of Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 22nd. Citigroup upped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” rating and set a $203.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $309.50 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $258.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $229.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $91.90 billion, a PE ratio of 22.49, a P/E/G 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 has a fifty-two week low of $130.78 and a fifty-two week high of $309.90.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 company 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. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 32.04 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid 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 presently 34.88%.

More 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?

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter worth about $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 134.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth about $27,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.