Martingale Asset Management L P Boosts Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Martingale Asset Management increased its stake in Valero by 167.4% during Q3, owning 78,668 shares after buying 49,249 more and holding roughly $13.39 million in the stock.
• Valero beat quarterly expectations, reporting $3.82 EPS vs. $3.27 expected and $30.37 billion in revenue (vs. $28.20B est.), with the shares trading near a 52-week high and a market cap of about $70.6 billion.
• Valero raised its quarterly dividend to $1.20 ($4.80 annualized, ~2.0% yield), even as an SVP disclosed recent share sales, and analysts maintain a consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target near $193.20.

Martingale Asset Management L P grew its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 167.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 78,668 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 49,249 shares during the quarter. Martingale Asset Management L P's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $13,394,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Waddell & Associates LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 2.8% in the third quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC now owns 2,040 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $347,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Valero Energy by 1.6% in the third quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,803 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $647,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Cypress Capital Group increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.3% during the third quarter. Cypress Capital Group now owns 18,786 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $3,199,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares in the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 2.0% during the third quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 3,381 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $576,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, Becker Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Becker Capital Management Inc. now owns 11,837 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,015,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Up 2.1%

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $235.95 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $196.53 and its 200-day simple moving average is $177.04. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $99.00 and a 52-week high of $240.27. The firm has a market cap of $70.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.70.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share (EPS) 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 company had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.64 EPS. Valero Energy's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. This is an increase from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. Valero Energy's payout ratio is presently 62.83%.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target on VLO to $237 and kept a "buy" rating, providing visible sell‑side endorsement that can attract buyers and support the rally. Goldman Sachs raises PT
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical supply risk around the Strait of Hormuz has pushed crude higher and sent institutional flows into U.S. refiners; that demand-driven dynamic tends to boost refiners' margins and investor appetite for names like Valero. Hormuz crisis lifts refiners
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend-focused coverage is highlighting Valero as an attractive income stock, which can underpin longer-term buyer interest and reduce volatility for yield-seeking investors. Dividend thesis
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst fair-value and narrative updates show mixed Street views — a modest upward revision to fair value and some divergent target changes mean continued analyst attention but no clear consensus signal. Analyst narrative shift
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary and valuation checks note strong recent share-price momentum and elevated investor interest, prompting reassessments of where VLO belongs in portfolios (momentum may continue but raises valuation scrutiny). Valuation check
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Eric A. Fisher disclosed sales of 8,311 shares on Mar 11 (avg $227.69) and 400 shares on Mar 12 (avg $238.60), a meaningful reduction in his stake (~16.4% decline in his position). Large insider sales can signal personal liquidity needs or reduced conviction and may damp investor sentiment. SEC Form 4 - Fisher sales
• Negative Sentiment: Policy risk: the White House is considering temporarily waiving the Jones Act to ease fuel shipping constraints and tame US pump prices — increased supply access could pressure domestic refining margins and weigh on near-term profitability for refiners. Jones Act waiver consideration

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Citigroup raised their price target on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Monday, February 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group reiterated a "buy" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Zacks Research lowered Valero Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $193.20.

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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