Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Position Decreased by Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich

Key Points

• Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich cut its stake in Valero by 59.3% in Q4, selling 11,313 shares and leaving it with 7,768 shares valued at about $1.28 million.
• Valero reported a quarterly beat with $3.82 EPS vs. $3.27 consensus and $30.37B revenue, and recent analyst activity is mixed-to-positive (Zacks upgraded to strong-buy; Piper Sandler and Barclays raised price targets), leaving a MarketBeat consensus of “Moderate Buy” and an average target of $230.65.

Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich decreased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 59.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,768 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 11,313 shares during the period. Munich Reinsurance Co Stock Corp in Munich's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,281,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $35,000. Accordant Advisory Group Inc boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 194.4% during the 4th quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc now owns 212 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 145.3% during the 3rd quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 211 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded VLO from "hold" to "strong-buy," giving the stock a favorable analyst vote that can support further buying interest. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks and other outlets preview VLO’s upcoming earnings and flag that Valero has the key ingredients for a likely earnings beat (strong refining margins, stable throughput expectations), which tends to lift sentiment into the print. Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note VLO is a "trending" stock on investor platforms — increased attention can boost volume and volatility but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Trending Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Reminder: Valero is scheduled to report quarterly results shortly; timing and any guidance/comments on margins and throughput will likely be the primary near-term driver. Earnings Date Note
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $222 but kept an "equal weight" rating — the $222 TP is below the current market level, implying downside versus today's price and signaling limited upside from this shop. Morgan Stanley Note
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an "Underperform" rating, which could pressure sentiment among more cautious institutional holders and add selling pressure if the earnings print disappoints. Wolfe Research

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $235.66 on Friday. 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 one year low of $112.00 and a one year high of $258.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.47 billion, a PE ratio of 30.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $228.55 and a two-hundred day moving average of $194.15.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 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 analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 19.03 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $182.00 to $222.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $184.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 8th. Two 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $230.65.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, 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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