3,748 Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by Nisa Investment Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Nisa Investment Advisors reduced its Valero Energy stake by 2.3%, selling 3,748 shares in the third quarter and retaining 155,825 shares valued at approximately $60.4 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 78.69% of VLO.
• Valero’s stock opened at $433.85, near its 52-week high of $461.52, after a substantial rally. Analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $382.62, although DBS Bank downgraded the stock to Hold.
• Third-quarter earnings are the key near-term catalyst, with results expected before the market opens on October 22. Investors anticipate that higher refining margins will support profitability following the company’s previous earnings and revenue beat.

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC cut its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 2.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 155,825 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 3,748 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.05% of Valero Energy worth $60,399,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Moore Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter worth $13,193,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lifted its position in Valero Energy by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 192,430 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $47,546,000 after acquiring an additional 7,702 shares in the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in Valero Energy by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 58,558 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $15,251,000 after acquiring an additional 3,037 shares in the last quarter. TrueMark Investments LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $8,921,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 377.1% in the 1st quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 413,437 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $102,152,000 after purchasing an additional 326,777 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Investors are optimistic ahead of Valero’s third-quarter results, scheduled before the market opens on October 22. Higher refining margins are expected to support profitability and could reinforce the company’s strong earnings momentum. Valero Energy's Q3 Earnings Approach: Higher Refining Margins Fuel Optimism
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was included in Zacks’ Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” growth-stock list. The designation may attract additional interest, particularly as the company trades well above its longer-term moving averages and approaches its 52-week high. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for October 19th
• Positive Sentiment: A new $8 billion federal program to help farmers offset surging diesel costs highlights tight fuel markets and supply disruptions linked to Iran. Elevated diesel prices can improve refinery economics for Valero, although the longer-term effect depends on demand and the duration of the disruption. Trump announces $8B bailout for farmers to cover diesel cost surge
• Neutral Sentiment: Preview reports are focusing on estimates for Valero’s third-quarter revenue, earnings and operating metrics, making the October 22 release the key near-term catalyst. Valero previously exceeded quarterly earnings expectations, raising the bar for another beat. Insights Into Valero Energy Q3
• Negative Sentiment: DBS Bank downgraded Valero to Hold while assigning a $436 price target, indicating limited near-term upside after the stock’s substantial rally. The call could temper bullish sentiment ahead of earnings. DBS Bank Downgrades Valero Energy to Hold

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the company. Barclays increased their target price on Valero Energy from $323.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. TD Cowen boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Citigroup boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $302.00 to $485.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Zacks Research raised Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $467.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Tuesday, October 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $382.62.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO stock opened at $433.85 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $387.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $306.74. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $156.26 and a one year high of $461.52. The stock has a market cap of $124.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.23.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. Valero Energy's revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 51.77 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company's primary business is refining and marketing transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero operates refineries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its refining operations also produce asphalt, petrochemical feedstocks and other petroleum-based products. The company markets fuel through wholesale channels and branded retail networks, including Valero, Beacon and Shamrock-branded locations.

In addition to conventional refining, Valero has businesses focused on renewable fuels.

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