6,635 Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Bought by Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Carolina Wealth Advisors increased its Valero Energy stake by 36,861.1% in the third quarter, purchasing 6,635 additional shares for a total holding valued at approximately $2.58 million.
• Valero reported exceptional third-quarter results, with adjusted EPS of $23.90, revenue of $46.1 billion—up 43.3% year over year—and net income of $6.8 billion, driven by stronger refining margins.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and $379.94 average price target, though some firms cite valuation concerns and the cyclical nature of unusually high refining margins.

Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 36,861.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,653 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,635 shares during the period. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,579,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VLO. Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 2.4% during the third quarter. Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,027 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $398,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the period. Grove Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 2,608 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares in the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 57.6% during the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 0.6% during the 1st quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 6,670 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Finally, Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 1,016 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $265,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Exceptional Q3 earnings: Valero reported adjusted EPS of $23.90, well above the roughly $21.17 consensus, while revenue increased 43.3% year over year to $46.1 billion. Net income surged to $6.8 billion from $1.1 billion, driven primarily by sharply higher refining margins. Valero Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Favorable operating outlook: Management highlighted tight fuel markets, resilient demand, record ethanol production, improving renewable diesel and ethanol profitability, and expectations that fuel margins could rise again. The company also cited $9.8 billion in cash and disciplined capital spending, supporting financial flexibility. Valero Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Refining and Cash Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain constructive: Barclays raised its price target to $443 and retained an overweight rating, while Wells Fargo lifted its target to $489 and also maintained an overweight rating. Citigroup increased its target to $490, although it kept a neutral rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Refining-sector momentum is strong but cyclical: Coverage emphasizes that Valero and other refiners are benefiting from tight fuel inventories and unusually high margins. Those conditions support near-term earnings but may be vulnerable to changes in crude prices, fuel demand, supply, or refinery utilization. Valero kicks off refiner results with record quarterly profit on higher margins
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and analyst disagreement are weighing on sentiment: Freedom Broker reaffirmed a sell rating and assigned a $276 price target, implying substantial downside from the referenced trading level. TD Cowen raised its target to $400 but maintained a hold rating, underscoring concerns that much of the refining upside may already be reflected in VLO’s valuation.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VLO. Bank of America upped their target price on Valero Energy from $395.00 to $414.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $255.00 to $411.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. 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. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $485.00 to $489.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $379.94.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO opened at $419.19 on Friday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $393.03 and a 200 day moving average price of $310.15. 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 Corporation has a 1 year low of $159.90 and a 1 year high of $461.52. The stock has a market cap of $120.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.43, a PEG ratio of 0.25 and a beta of 0.59.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 47.50% and a net margin of 8.44%. The company had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.66 EPS. The business's revenue was up 43.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 54.22 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy 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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