Axecap Investments LLC Purchases New Stake in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Axecap Investments LLC acquired a new stake of 22,437 shares in Valero in Q4 (≈$3.65M), representing about 2.3% of its portfolio and making VLO its 13th largest holding.
• Several analysts have raised price targets and ratings (e.g., Raymond James to a strong-buy $290, BMO to $270, UBS to $280), leaving a MarketBeat consensus of Moderate Buy with an average price target of $230.65.
• SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares (~$1.89M) in March, cutting his stake by 16.44%, while institutional investors own roughly 78.7% of VLO.

Axecap Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 22,437 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $3,653,000. Valero Energy comprises about 2.3% of Axecap Investments LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 13th biggest holding.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at about $27,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at about $35,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 194.4% in the fourth quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc now owns 212 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $35,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 145.3% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 211 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $36,000 after buying an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on VLO shares. Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $182.00 to $222.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $230.65.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded VLO from "hold" to "strong-buy," giving the stock a favorable analyst vote that can support further buying interest. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks and other outlets preview VLO’s upcoming earnings and flag that Valero has the key ingredients for a likely earnings beat (strong refining margins, stable throughput expectations), which tends to lift sentiment into the print. Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note VLO is a "trending" stock on investor platforms — increased attention can boost volume and volatility but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Trending Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Reminder: Valero is scheduled to report quarterly results shortly; timing and any guidance/comments on margins and throughput will likely be the primary near-term driver. Earnings Date Note
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $222 but kept an "equal weight" rating — the $222 TP is below the current market level, implying downside versus today's price and signaling limited upside from this shop. Morgan Stanley Note
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an "Underperform" rating, which could pressure sentiment among more cautious institutional holders and add selling pressure if the earnings print disappoints. Wolfe Research

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total value of $1,892,331.59. Following the transaction, the senior vice president owned 42,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. This trade represents a 16.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of VLO opened at $235.66 on Friday. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $228.55 and its 200 day simple moving average is $194.15. The company has a market capitalization of $70.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $112.00 and a 1-year high of $258.43.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The business had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. Valero Energy's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 19.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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