Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Bought by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Key Points

• Zurcher Kantonalbank raised its stake in Valero by 51% in Q4 to 350,913 shares (about $57.1M), representing roughly 0.12% of the company.
• Valero beat quarterly estimates — EPS $3.82 vs $3.27 and revenue $30.37B vs $28.20B — and increased its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annual $4.80, yield ~2.1%).
• Refining margins have been boosted by a ~50% spike in diesel and geopolitical-driven crude strength, supporting bullish analyst sentiment (average rating "Moderate Buy", average target $228.31) despite a Wolfe Research sell call.

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 51.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 350,913 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after acquiring an additional 118,506 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank owned approximately 0.12% of Valero Energy worth $57,125,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in Valero Energy by 70.2% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Triumph Capital Management acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its position in 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 worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Diesel prices have spiked (~50% in recent weeks), which directly boosts refinery margins and cash flow for large refiners like Valero; that dynamic is a primary reason investors have bid VLO higher this year. Diesel Is Up 50% in Weeks. Here Are 2 Stocks Quietly Benefiting From the Spike.
• Positive Sentiment: Geopolitical tensions (U.S.-Iran developments) pushed crude prices higher, which tends to lift refining margins amid tighter product markets — a supportive backdrop for VLO’s near-term results. Oil Prices Jump, S&P 500 Falls As U.S.-Iran Jabs Puts Ceasefire In Doubt
• Positive Sentiment: High-profile bullish commentary (including Jim Cramer and broader Wall Street interest in energy/dividend names) has supported VLO’s multi-month rally and investor sentiment. Jim Cramer Shares Why He’d Buy Valero (VLO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent sector commentary and valuation notes weigh VLO’s strong YTD gains against volatile margins; analysts are parsing whether current margins are sustainable. A Look At Valero Energy (VLO) Valuation As Geopolitical Tensions And Analyst Support Shape Sector Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research (Doug Leggate) reiterated an underperform/sell view and set a $203 price target (~10% below the recent trade), arguing VLO is priced for peak margins and “unsustainable” cash flows — this downgrade is the immediate negative catalyst pressuring the stock today. Valero: Priced for Peak Margins and Unsustainable Cash Flows, Warranting a Sell Rating

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Scotiabank upgraded Valero Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $228.31.

Valero Energy Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $226.10 on Tuesday. 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 twelve month low of $106.83 and a twelve month high of $258.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.61 billion, a PE ratio of 29.59, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $225.81 and its 200 day moving average price is $192.34.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The company had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.64 EPS. Valero Energy's quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 18.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 5th. This is a positive change from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.83%.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy 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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