180 Wealth Advisors LLC Purchases New Stake in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• 180 Wealth Advisors LLC acquired 5,289 Valero shares worth approximately $1.38 million in the second quarter, while institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 78.69% of VLO.
• Valero reported quarterly EPS of $12.54, beating estimates by $2.43, while revenue rose 48.8% year over year to $44.48 billion. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, equivalent to a 1.6% annual yield.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and several firms raising price targets; however, Valero’s valuation is above the industry average, which may limit upside if refining expectations weaken.

180 Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 5,289 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $1,377,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 2,635.7% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $154,736,000 after acquiring an additional 915,782 shares during the period. Amundi lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 45.3% during the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,584,976 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $638,695,000 after purchasing an additional 806,018 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 49.3% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $276,224,000 after acquiring an additional 560,116 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO stock opened at $302.60 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.56, a PEG ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $130.78 and a 12 month high of $320.24. The business's 50-day moving average price is $275.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $242.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 39.55 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.6%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 19.92%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. Citigroup lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $329.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $288.00.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded VLO to Rank #1, or “Strong Buy.” The upgrade reflects improving expectations for Valero’s earnings and could attract additional near-term buying interest. VLO was also added to Zacks’ strong-buy lists for growth, value and income investors. Zacks Strong Buy Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $350. The higher target indicates the firm sees further appreciation potential from current levels and adds to the constructive analyst sentiment surrounding VLO. TD Cowen Raises Valero Price Target
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and market commentary point to Valero’s advantages from relatively cheaper crude, flexible feedstock sourcing and a strong balance sheet. These factors can support refining margins and earnings resilience. Valero Stock Premium Valuation Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street’s bullish average recommendation supports the investment case, but the articles caution that sell-side ratings can be overly optimistic and should not be used alone. Wall Street Views on Valero
• Negative Sentiment: Valero trades at approximately 6.44 times trailing EBITDA versus an industry average of 5.77 times. The premium valuation raises the risk that much of the favorable refining outlook is already reflected in the stock. Valero Premium Valuation Analysis

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.

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