Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Position Trimmed by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG cut its Valero Energy position by 8.7% in the second quarter, selling 3,267 shares and retaining 34,220 shares valued at approximately $8.9 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 78.69% of VLO.
• Analysts remain broadly positive, with an average “Moderate Buy” rating and price target of $289.94; Wells Fargo raised its target to $389, while Goldman Sachs and UBS also increased their targets.
• Valero reported a strong quarter, posting $12.54 in EPS versus the $10.11 consensus and revenue of $44.48 billion, up 48.8% year over year. The company also maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.20, or $4.80 annually, yielding about 1.3%.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG reduced its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 8.7% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 34,220 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 3,267 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $8,912,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Legacy Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 1,358 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $354,000 after buying an additional 101 shares during the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth about $601,000. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 6.2% in the second quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 3,036 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $790,000 after acquiring an additional 176 shares during the last quarter. CTC Alternative Strategies Ltd. bought a new position in Valero Energy in the second quarter worth about $443,000. Finally, Quantitative Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $1,525,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Valero Energy from $356.00 to $389.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Erste Group Bank lowered Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $289.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo raised its price target on Valero from $356 to $389 and maintained an “overweight” rating, implying additional upside from recent trading levels. Benzinga analyst coverage
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was added to Zacks’ Rank #1 (Strong Buy) growth-stocks list. The designation reflects favorable growth characteristics and could attract additional investor interest. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for September 2nd
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum remains strong: VLO reached a fresh 12-month high and was identified by Zacks among stocks with relative price strength, positive earnings revisions and resilient performance amid market volatility. 5 Relative Price Strength Stocks With Momentum on Their Side
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised its FY2027 EPS forecast to $28.75 from $25.43, signaling improved longer-term earnings expectations, although the bank retained a “Hold” rating. Valero Energy Hits New 12-Month High
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage of Valero’s new high highlights continued investor optimism but also raises valuation concerns after the stock’s substantial advance. Future gains may depend on sustained refining margins and additional earnings growth. Valero Energy Hits Fresh High: Is There Still Room to Run?
• Negative Sentiment: Political pressure is a risk: President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with refiners focused on lowering gasoline prices could pressure companies such as Valero to reduce prices, potentially squeezing refining margins and shareholder returns. Trump Presses Refiners on Gas Prices

Valero Energy Trading Up 1.1%

Valero Energy stock opened at $366.13 on Thursday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $153.20 and a 12-month high of $370.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $105.42 billion, a PE ratio of 15.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.41 and a beta of 0.57. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $310.70 and a 200-day simple moving average of $262.91.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $39.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $2.28 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.7 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were issued a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.3%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy's payout ratio is presently 19.92%.

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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