Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Sells 11,708 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its stake in Valero Energy by 3.0%, selling 11,708 shares and now owning 373,278 shares (about 0.12% of the company) valued at roughly $61.2 million.
• Analysts are mixed but generally positive: the consensus rating is a “Moderate Buy” with a $228.18 target, while Piper Sandler raised its target to $263 (overweight) and Wolfe Research reiterated a $203 underperform call.
• Near-term drivers cited include strong refinery margins, a diesel-price surge and potential capital returns supporting earnings, even as insider SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares (reducing his holding by ~16.44%) for about $1.89 million.

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH cut its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 3.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 373,278 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 11,708 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.12% of Valero Energy worth $61,203,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 70.2% in the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY bought a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc raised its position in Valero Energy by 194.4% in the fourth quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc now owns 212 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Wolfe Research reissued an "underperform" rating and issued a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday. Zacks Research cut shares of Valero Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $228.18.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added VLO to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) / momentum lists this morning, a visible retail- and quant-focused endorsement that can attract short‑term buying and ETF/overlay flows. New Strong Buy Stocks for April 22nd
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are flagging sustained upside from refinery margins, diesel strength and Valero’s capital returns — Seeking Alpha highlights potential windfall profits, large EBITDA scenarios and a buyback/dividend-driven 14% capital return case that supports higher long-term valuation. Valero: Windfall Profits Lead To 14% Capital Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/refining tailwind — diesel prices have jumped and outlets note Valero as a beneficiary of the spike and of its push into renewable fuels, which supports near‑term earnings and sentiment. Diesel Is Up 50% in Weeks. Here Are 2 Stocks Quietly Benefiting From the Spike.
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its Valero price target sharply (from $178 to $226) and upgraded to “sector outperform” — a positive signal — but the PT still sits slightly below the current share price, making the net impact mixed for immediate upside. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad sector/peer headlines (BP earnings preview, offshore rig revenue notes like Nabors) are worth watching because refining margins and oil prices drive Valero’s earnings sensitivity, but these are indirect and won’t necessarily move VLO alone. Important Factors to Watch Ahead of BP's Q1 Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” view and a $203 price target (well below the current level), and related analyst commentary flagged that Valero may be priced for peak margins and unsustainable cash flows — this can pressure sentiment and trigger profit-taking or a re-rating if investors follow the call. Valero: Priced for Peak Margins and Unsustainable Cash Flows, Warranting a Sell Rating

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total transaction of $1,892,331.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. This trade represents a 16.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $234.30 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $227.10 and a 200-day moving average price of $193.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market cap of $70.06 billion, a PE ratio of 30.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $110.00 and a 1 year 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, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The company's revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 19.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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