Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Has $190.20 Million Stock Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 5.0% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 730,284 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 34,917 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned about 0.25% of Valero Energy worth $190,196,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2,325.2% in the 4th quarter. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC now owns 36,378 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $5,922,000 after buying an additional 34,878 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 846.9% during the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 14,752 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,401,000 after buying an additional 13,194 shares during the period. North Dakota State Investment Board acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,743,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.2% in the first quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 192,430 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $47,546,000 after acquiring an additional 7,702 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 51.0% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 350,913 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $57,125,000 after acquiring an additional 118,506 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. Wolfe Research restated an "underperform" rating and set a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. TD Cowen increased their target price on Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $288.00.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices, above $4 per gallon, may support attractive refining margins for efficient refiners such as Valero. The favorable industry backdrop could improve cash generation and near-term earnings prospects. 4 Refining Stocks to Buy as Gas Prices Top $4 a Gallon
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” lists covering growth, value and overall stock ideas. These rankings reflect favorable quantitative factors and may increase buying interest. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 17th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are moving Valero’s earnings estimates higher, suggesting improving expectations for profitability and potentially continued upward momentum. The company’s latest quarterly results already showed a substantial earnings and revenue beat, strengthening the fundamental case. Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for Valero Energy
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high put-option activity was reported, with investors purchasing 23,642 puts—179% above average daily volume. This may indicate increased hedging or bearish speculation, although options activity alone does not establish a clear direction for the stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $347.25 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $99.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.41, a P/E/G ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $135.02 and a 52 week high of $350.63. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $285.70 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $249.58. 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 posted its earnings results 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. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The company's revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.28 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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

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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