Erste Asset Management GmbH Acquires 62,410 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Erste Asset Management increased its stake in Valero Energy by 59.9% in the fourth quarter, buying 62,410 additional shares and bringing its holdings to 166,560 shares worth about $27.3 million.
• Valero reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $4.22 versus $3.16 expected and revenue of $32.38 billion, up 7% year over year. The company also raised investor interest with a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, or $4.80 annually.
• Analysts remain broadly constructive on VLO: several firms raised price targets, and the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus rating with a $243.65 average price target. Valero also hit a 52-week high and has benefited from strong momentum in refining and cleaner-fuels initiatives.

Erste Asset Management GmbH raised its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 59.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 166,560 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 62,410 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH owned about 0.05% of Valero Energy worth $27,325,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. CenterBook Partners LP bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,148,000. Manchester Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 25.9% during the fourth quarter. Manchester Capital Management LLC now owns 569 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $93,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares in the last quarter. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $891,000. Syon Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Syon Capital LLC now owns 13,322 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,169,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 200.4% during the fourth quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 372,640 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $63,386,000 after purchasing an additional 248,586 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

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

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Valero as one of the best low-beta stocks to buy right away, pointing to recent gains, solid trading volume, and the appeal of defensive energy exposure amid market volatility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note said cleaner transportation fuels are powering Valero’s growth, citing expansion in renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and ethanol as longer-term cash flow drivers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was also featured as a strong value and growth name, with Zacks assigning it favorable rankings that may reinforce investor confidence in the stock’s earnings and valuation profile. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s refining strength was emphasized again in a Zacks article arguing that high oil prices should not fully derail margins because of tight global refining capacity and low fuel inventories. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple headlines noted that Valero recently hit a 52-week high and has outperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, suggesting strong momentum and supportive fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One article discussed whether VLO’s run can continue after reaching a 52-week high, but it mainly framed the question around existing fundamentals rather than delivering a clear new catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance piece flagged possible bearish signals from insider stock sales over the past year, which could temper enthusiasm if investors focus on governance or insider sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argued Valero may be a great business but at the wrong price, implying valuation could be a headwind after the stock’s strong run. Article Title

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.1%

VLO stock opened at $256.03 on Monday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $127.83 and a 1-year high of $265.61. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $244.66 and a 200-day moving average price of $210.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The stock has a market capitalization of $76.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.89 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 26.51 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 Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms recently weighed in on VLO. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. UBS Group lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Citigroup lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $182.00 to $222.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, April 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $243.65.

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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