Deutsche Bank AG Sells 116,711 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Deutsche Bank AG cut its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 12.1% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 845,326 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 116,711 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG owned approximately 0.28% of Valero Energy worth $220,157,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in Valero Energy by 2,635.7% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $154,736,000 after purchasing an additional 915,782 shares in the last quarter. Amundi lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,584,976 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $638,695,000 after buying an additional 806,018 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $276,224,000 after buying an additional 560,116 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record diesel prices are creating an attractive margin environment for refiners. Valero is identified among the companies positioned to benefit as fuel prices diverge from crude oil prices, potentially supporting near-term profits. Diesel Prices Are Breaking Records: 3 Refiners Turning the Crisis Into Record Profits
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline prices above $4 per gallon are supporting the outlook for refiners capable of capturing strong fuel margins. Valero was included among refining stocks viewed favorably in this environment. 4 Refining Stocks to Buy as Gas Prices Top $4 a Gallon
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising earnings estimates for Valero, a trend that could provide additional support for the stock after its recent gains. Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for Valero Energy
• Positive Sentiment: VLO was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists, including value, growth and overall Strong Buy screens. These rankings may attract additional buying from quantitative and momentum-focused investors. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 17th
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity suggests some traders are positioning for downside or hedging existing holdings. Investors purchased 23,642 puts, about 179% above typical volume, but options activity alone does not establish a fundamental change in Valero’s outlook. Investors Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Valero Energy

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages have recently commented on VLO. UBS Group raised their price target on Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and issued a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a "sector outperform" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group set a $350.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $288.00.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.9%

VLO opened at $350.14 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market cap of $100.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.53, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $136.87 and a 12 month high of $351.00. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $287.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $250.74.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $39.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.92%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value 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 approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate 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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