Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 3,504 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $913,000.
Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Corient Private Wealth LP purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter worth about $59,917,000. Perennial Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $227,000. Philadelphia Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $752,000. Ausdal Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $1,130,000. Finally, Avos Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $212,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.
Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy
Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Strong refining environment supports earnings: Valero and Marathon Petroleum have more than doubled in 2026 as global refining margins surged amid supply disruptions. Barron’s reportedly sees additional upside for U.S. refiners if favorable market conditions persist. Marathon Petroleum and Valero Energy Have Exploded in 2026, But Barron’s Sees More Upside
- Positive Sentiment: Cash and balance-sheet strength may support shareholder returns: Analysts highlight Valero’s approximately $7.9 billion cash balance, low leverage, and history of capital returns. Refinery upgrades could improve future cash generation and provide flexibility for dividends, buybacks, or debt management. Will Valero’s Excess Cash Translate Into Higher Shareholder Returns?
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst and style-screen support remains favorable: Valero is being promoted as a growth, value, low-beta, and low-leverage idea. Zacks lists VLO among its Strong Buy growth stocks, while the average Wall Street recommendation is equivalent to Buy. Falling Treasury yields may also improve the appeal of financially resilient companies. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for August 25th
- Neutral Sentiment: Valero compares favorably with Marathon Petroleum: Marathon offers a lower valuation and MPLX exposure, but commentary favors Valero for its stronger balance sheet and share-price momentum. Marathon vs. Valero: Which Refining Stock Is the Better Buy Now?
- Negative Sentiment: Valuation creates downside risk: After substantial gains, including strong one- and three-month performance, some analysis questions whether Valero now trades above fair value. Investors may therefore become more sensitive to weaker refining margins or profit-taking. Is Valero Energy Fully Valued as Shares Trade Above Fair Value?
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VLO shares. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Barclays upped their target price on Valero Energy from $279.00 to $323.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. UBS Group lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings raised Valero Energy from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $329.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $288.00.
View Our Latest Analysis on VLO
Insider Activity
In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business's 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 sale, 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 ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.
Valero Energy Price Performance
Shares of VLO stock opened at $348.67 on Thursday. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $146.76 and a fifty-two week high of $353.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.47, a PEG ratio of 0.22 and a beta of 0.55. The stock's 50-day simple moving average is $299.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $257.39.
Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. Valero Energy's revenue was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.28 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Valero Energy Announces Dividend
The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.92%.
About Valero Energy
(
Free Report)
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.
Further Reading
Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report).

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