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

AMF Tjanstepension AB lifted its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 5.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 111,753 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 5,548 shares during the quarter. AMF Tjanstepension AB's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $27,612,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings 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 purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Wolfe Research reissued an "underperform" rating and issued a $203.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $247.59.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.1%

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $280.54 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $83.30 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $130.78 and a 52-week high of $287.05. 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 company has a 50-day simple moving average of $253.35 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $224.99.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The firm 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 quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $1.20 dividend. 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 dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Key Valero Energy News

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

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business'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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

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.

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