AMF Tjanstepension AB Boosts Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

AMF Tjanstepension AB raised its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 5.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 111,753 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,548 shares during the period. AMF Tjanstepension AB’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $27,612,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VLO. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 3,400.0% during the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 134.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $29,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the period. Global Assets Advisory LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the first quarter worth $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $27,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $280.54 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $253.35 and its 200-day moving average price is $224.99. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $130.78 and a 52-week high of $287.05. The company has a market cap of $83.30 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55.

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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.89 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Mizuho raised their price target on Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $247.59.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

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.