Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Has $4.76 Million Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Thrivent Financial for Lutherans reduced its Valero Energy stake by 37.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 17,785 shares and leaving it with 29,095 shares valued at about $4.76 million.
• Valero posted strong first-quarter results, with EPS of $4.22 beating estimates and revenue of $32.38 billion topping expectations, while revenue also rose 7% year over year.
• Analyst sentiment remains constructive: several firms raised price targets, and the stock now carries a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with an average target price of $237.94, even as some recent commentary flagged pressure on refining margins.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 37.9% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,095 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 17,785 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in Valero Energy were worth $4,759,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $4,534,000. National Pension Service increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 3.6% during the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 491,134 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $83,620,000 after purchasing an additional 17,165 shares during the period. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 5.3% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 4,143,672 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $705,502,000 after purchasing an additional 209,597 shares during the period. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 33.5% during the fourth quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 42,376 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $6,898,000 after purchasing an additional 10,634 shares during the period. Finally, Applied Finance Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 13.7% during the third quarter. Applied Finance Capital Management LLC now owns 115,183 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $19,612,000 after purchasing an additional 13,923 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $240.91 on Friday. The business's fifty day moving average price is $241.58 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $204.24. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $125.10 and a fifty-two week high of $263.75. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.38 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.89 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 26.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $255.00 to $276.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $237.94.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth-stock list, which can lift investor interest and signal improving momentum. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for May 22nd
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent analyst updates have nudged fair value and price targets higher, including a revised fair value estimate above the prior level, suggesting some Wall Street models still see upside in VLO. Why The Valero Energy (VLO) Story Is Shifting As Analysts Rework Targets And Assumptions
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s Q1 results were strong, with EPS and revenue both beating estimates and revenue rising year over year, reinforcing the company’s earnings momentum.
• Neutral Sentiment: VLO is being highlighted in low-beta/steadier-portfolio screens as Middle East tensions increase energy-market volatility, which may attract defensive buyers but does not directly change fundamentals. 4 Low-Beta Stocks for a Steadier Portfolio: LQDA, XOM, VLO & FANG
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero continues to draw attention as a trending stock on Zacks, indicating elevated trading interest rather than a clear new catalyst. Here is What to Know Beyond Why Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) is a Trending Stock
• Negative Sentiment: Some recent analysis points to pressure on refiners from weaker crude prices and softer distillate inventory signals, which can weigh on near-term refining margin expectations. Valero Energy (VLO) slides as crude sells off and traders reassess near-term margin signals
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank reportedly lowered earnings estimates for Valero, which can dampen sentiment if investors think profit expectations are being reset lower.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on 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 the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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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