Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Acquired by VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems increased its Valero Energy stake by 480% in the third quarter, owning 19,372 shares valued at approximately $7.5 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively hold 78.69% of Valero’s stock.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive but mixed outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $379.94; individual targets range from $400 to $435.
• Valero reported strong quarterly results, posting $23.90 in adjusted EPS versus expectations of $21.17 and revenue of $46.10 billion, up 43.3% year over year. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, equivalent to a 1.2% yield.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al increased its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 480.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 19,372 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 16,032 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $7,509,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Balance Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Latitude Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 57.6% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1,980.0% in the third quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the first quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $395.00 to $414.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Valero Energy from $255.00 to $411.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Monday, September 14th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $375.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $329.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, September 3rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $379.94.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Houston acquisition expands Valero’s refining footprint: Valero agreed to acquire LyondellBasell’s former Houston Refinery site and related assets for $320.5 million. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 and includes the assumption of site operations, environmental liabilities, pension costs and related employee obligations. The deal could provide strategic infrastructure and operational growth in a major refining market. Valero to Acquire Former Houston Refinery from LyondellBasell
• Positive Sentiment: Large buyback authorization supports the stock: Valero reportedly authorized up to $10 billion in share repurchases after a strong quarter, increasing its ability to return excess cash to shareholders and potentially support per-share earnings. Valero authorizes USD 10.0 billion buyback
• Positive Sentiment: Exceptional quarterly profitability remains a catalyst: Valero generated $6.8 billion of third-quarter net income, while management allocated $1.7 billion of 2026 capital guidance to sustaining operations. Strong cash generation and refining margins reinforce the company’s capacity for shareholder returns. Valero: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst valuation views improved but remain mixed: A consolidated fair-value estimate reportedly increased to $426.42 from $401.53, while some analysts remain cautious after the stock’s significant multiyear gains. Another analysis argues that Valero may still be undervalued on current earnings. Valero Energy Stock Sees Fair Value Lift
• Negative Sentiment: Put-option activity signals hedging or bearish positioning: Traders bought approximately 16,660 VLO put options, about 41% above average volume. This may reflect increased concern about downside risk following the stock’s strong run.
• Negative Sentiment: Sector-wide profit-taking risk persists: Commentary argued that investors should consider selling refiners after an exceptionally strong year, suggesting concerns that refining margins and share prices may have peaked. It’s Time to Sell the Refiners

Valero Energy Stock Up 4.0%

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $400.04 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $397.64 and a 200 day moving average price of $285.06. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $159.90 and a fifty-two week high of $461.52. The firm has a market cap of $115.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 45.90% and a net margin of 8.44%. The company had revenue of $46.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.71 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $3.66 EPS. The business's revenue was up 43.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 57.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.2%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.80%.

Valero Energy Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company's primary business is refining and marketing transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero operates refineries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its refining operations also produce asphalt, petrochemical feedstocks and other petroleum-based products. The company markets fuel through wholesale channels and branded retail networks, including Valero, Beacon and Shamrock-branded locations.

In addition to conventional refining, Valero has businesses focused on renewable fuels.

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