Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. Buys New Stake in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors purchased 7,330 Valero shares during the third quarter, valued at approximately $2.84 million. Institutional investors collectively own 78.69% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $382.62; several firms recently raised their targets, including Wells Fargo to $485.
• Valero reported quarterly earnings of $12.54 per share, beating estimates of $10.11, while revenue rose 48.8% year over year to $44.48 billion. The stock opened at $436.56, near its 52-week high of $461.52.

Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 7,330 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $2,841,000.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Bank of America Corp DE bought a new position in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $1,195,943,000. Amundi lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 45.3% in the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,584,976 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $638,695,000 after buying an additional 806,018 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 33.9% in the second quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,058,341 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $536,074,000 after buying an additional 520,642 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $59,917,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 18.4% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,842,339 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $702,285,000 after acquiring an additional 442,177 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VLO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $323.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. TD Cowen upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $365.00 to $457.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Erste Group Bank cut Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $389.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $382.62.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.7%

NYSE:VLO opened at $436.56 on Thursday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $156.26 and a 1 year high of $461.52. The stock has a market cap of $125.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.11, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a fifty day moving average of $389.82 and a 200-day moving average of $308.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.64.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. The business had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $39.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 52.55 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher refining margins are raising expectations for Valero’s third-quarter performance. As a major independent petroleum refiner, VLO could benefit from improved crack spreads and stronger profitability in its core refining business. Valero Energy's Q3 Earnings Approach: Higher Refining Margins Fuel Optimism
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent momentum has attracted attention from investors. The stock had gained 2.53% over the prior week, reflecting expectations that the earnings report could benefit from favorable refining conditions. Valero Energy Is Up 2.53% in One Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focusing not only on revenue and earnings, but also on key operating metrics expected with the third-quarter results. The report could determine whether the recent rally is supported by fundamentals. Insights Into Valero Energy Q3: Wall Street Projections for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s earnings announcement is the immediate focus for traders, increasing the likelihood of heightened volatility around the release. Valero previously reported a strong quarter, with earnings and revenue exceeding expectations, which sets a high bar for another upside surprise.
• Negative Sentiment: A report indicated that Valero shares fell 1.80% amid the run-up to the scheduled results, suggesting some profit-taking or caution ahead of the announcement. Investors may also be concerned that favorable refining-margin expectations are already reflected in the stock. Valero Energy Scheduled Results
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical disruptions have contributed to higher diesel costs, creating potential pressure on fuel consumers and operating expenses. The proposed $8 billion farmer relief program could cushion diesel demand, but it also underscores continued energy-market instability. Trump Announces $8B Bailout for Farmers

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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