Candriam S.C.A. Has $24.98 Million Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Candriam S.C.A. boosted its Valero Energy stake by 146.8% in the first quarter, holding 101,094 shares worth about $24.98 million after buying 60,126 more shares.
• Valero’s outlook appears supported by strong fuel demand, elevated crack spreads, rising exports, and lower crude costs, all of which can help improve refining margins.
• Valero reported better-than-expected quarterly results with EPS of $4.22 versus $3.16 expected, while analysts currently rate the stock a Moderate Buy with a consensus price target of $247.59.

Candriam S.C.A. raised its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 146.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 101,094 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 60,126 shares during the quarter. Candriam S.C.A.'s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $24,978,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 33.5% in the 4th quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 42,376 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $6,898,000 after acquiring an additional 10,634 shares in the last quarter. Friedenthal Financial acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $954,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 359.0% during the fourth quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 14,243 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,319,000 after purchasing an additional 11,140 shares during the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 139.9% in the third quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP now owns 18,701 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $3,178,000 after purchasing an additional 10,905 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its position in Valero Energy by 24.7% in the fourth quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 565,171 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $92,004,000 after purchasing an additional 112,118 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VLO. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Weiss Ratings cut Valero Energy from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $261.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $247.59.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.3%

Valero Energy stock traded down $0.71 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $280.54. 1,931,882 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,034,427. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.39, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $130.78 and a fifty-two week high of $287.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $253.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $224.56.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last posted its 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The company's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.89 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.88%.

Valero Energy 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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