Sound Income Strategies LLC Cuts Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Sound Income Strategies LLC reduced its stake in Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) by 48.5% in Q4, selling 41,943 shares and retaining 44,578 shares worth about $7.26 million at quarter-end.
• Valero has seen positive analyst momentum and fundamentals—recent price-target upgrades, a quarterly EPS beat ($3.82 vs. $3.27 est.), and a raised quarterly dividend to $1.20 ($4.80 annual, ~2.0% yield).

Sound Income Strategies LLC decreased its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 48.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 44,578 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 41,943 shares during the quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $7,257,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 70.2% in the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the business'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 legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company's stock.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded VLO to a Rank #2 (Buy), citing improving earnings prospects that could support near-term upside. Valero Energy (VLO) Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes solid earnings-estimate revisions for VLO, suggesting analysts are raising future EPS forecasts — a common catalyst for share gains. Why Valero Energy (VLO) Might be Well Poised for a Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights VLO’s strong style scores and long-term growth attributes, supporting buy-and-hold interest from growth-focused investors. Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Financial sites (Yahoo/MSN) are highlighting the upgrade momentum and framing VLO as a long-term growth/refining play, which can attract retail and momentum buyers. Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a top growth stock for the long term
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target on VLO from $230 to $270 and moved to an Outperform rating — an explicit bullish signal that boosts upside expectations. BMO Capital Markets raises PT to $270
• Neutral Sentiment: The Motley Fool notes Goldman Sachs lifted its price target on Valero but asks whether that alone makes VLO a buy, offering a more cautious view on valuation and cycle risk. Is Valero Energy One of the Best Oil Stocks to Buy Right Now?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the company. Mizuho reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price target (up from $190.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Friday, December 12th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group raised their target price on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $214.50.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $245.35 on Tuesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $216.42 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $187.60. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $99.00 and a 1-year high of $258.43. The firm has a market cap of $73.37 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 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 (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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The business had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.64 earnings per share. Valero Energy's revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

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

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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