AIA Group Ltd Boosts Stock Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

AIA Group Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 18.5% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 89,264 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 13,967 shares during the quarter. AIA Group Ltd’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $22,055,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its holdings 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 in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $309.50 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $258.97 and a 200 day moving average of $229.32. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $130.78 and a 12 month high of $309.90. The firm has a market cap of $91.90 billion, a PE ratio of 22.49, a PEG ratio of 0.38 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 released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The company’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.89 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 32.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, 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 this link. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings lowered Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 8th. Citigroup increased their target price on Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned 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, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $253.06.

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.