Pictet Asset Management Holding SA Purchases 12,459 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Pictet Asset Management increased its 4Q stake in Valero by 4.7%, buying 12,459 shares to hold 279,261 shares worth about $45.47 million (roughly 0.09% of the company).
• Insider activity shows selling pressure: SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares at an average of $227.69, reducing his position by 16.44%; corporate insiders now own about 0.36% of Valero.
• Market momentum is positive—Valero shares rose ~4.5% after a quarterly EPS beat ($3.82 vs. $3.27 consensus), several firms raised price targets, and analysts’ consensus is a Moderate Buy with an average target of about $235.94.

Pictet Asset Management Holding SA lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 4.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 279,261 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after acquiring an additional 12,459 shares during the period. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA owned approximately 0.09% of Valero Energy worth $45,473,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 17.4% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 160,794 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,377,000 after acquiring an additional 23,859 shares during the period. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $4,534,000. Cerity Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 9.0% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 104,859 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $17,853,000 after acquiring an additional 8,638 shares during the period. Tema Etfs LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $1,669,000. Finally, National Pension Service grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3.6% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 491,134 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $83,620,000 after acquiring an additional 17,165 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were 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 of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. This represents a 16.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 4.5%

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $251.06 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $231.19 and a 200 day moving average of $195.87. The company has a market cap of $75.07 billion, a PE ratio of 32.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $112.23 and a 12-month high of $258.43.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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. The company had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The firm's revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.64 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 21.67 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Wolfe Research restated an "underperform" rating and set a $203.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a "sector outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $235.94.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Refining margins have strengthened—especially diesel/distillate—driven by Middle East supply disruptions and higher oil prices; traders are positioning ahead of Valero’s Q1 earnings (scheduled Apr 30), and operational progress at Port Arthur has eased outage risk. Valero Energy rises as refining margins stay elevated and traders position ahead of earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Recent analyst upgrades and higher earnings forecasts have lifted sentiment — Wall Street estimates for near‑term EPS were revised up, supporting the stock’s momentum. How Investors Are Reacting To Valero Energy (VLO) Upgraded Earnings Forecasts And Refining Margin Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised FY2026/FY2027 EPS estimates substantially (and maintains a Sector Outperform rating), which supports higher forward earnings expectations. MarketBeat VLO coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: VLO was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth list, a short‑term signal that can attract momentum buyers but doesn’t change fundamentals. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for April 29th
• Neutral Sentiment: Pre‑earnings analyst deep dives on Q1 metrics (throughput, margins, inventory) are circulating — these shape near‑term expectations but outcomes will depend on the print. Insights Into Valero Energy (VLO) Q1: Wall Street Projections for Key Metrics
• Negative Sentiment: Insider activity shows multiple sales (no purchases) in recent months, which can be read as a cautionary signal by some investors. Valero Energy rises as refining margins stay elevated and traders position ahead of earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage notes “mixed” analyst targets and mentions of lawsuit-related news — these items introduce headline risk and may temper upside if legal/target uncertainty persists. How The Valero Energy (VLO) Narrative Is Shifting With Mixed Analyst Targets And Lawsuit News

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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