Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP

Key Points

• Dimensional Fund Advisors cut its stake in Valero by 13.2%, selling 453,511 shares and leaving 2,970,012 shares valued at about $505.7 million (≈0.97% of the company).
• Several major analysts raised price targets (JPMorgan, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley among them) and Valero carries a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with an average price target of $187.67.
• Valero beat earnings with $3.82 EPS vs. $3.27 expected and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.20 ($4.80 annual, ~2.1% yield); the stock is trading near its 52‑week high (~$225.8).

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP cut its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 13.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,970,012 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 453,511 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 0.97% of Valero Energy worth $505,737,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $827,390,000. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 16.7% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 8,141,511 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,089,897,000 after buying an additional 1,164,217 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 162.5% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 523,692 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $70,395,000 after acquiring an additional 324,174 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 2.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,724,707 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,576,035,000 after acquiring an additional 286,942 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 17.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,706,187 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $286,076,000 after acquiring an additional 256,373 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VLO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted 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. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $190.00 to $212.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley upped 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 note on Tuesday, January 27th. Mizuho reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $192.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Saturday, February 7th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $187.67.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Multi-day rally — Valero has climbed for a seventh straight session, signaling sustained buyer interest and momentum flows into VLO. Valero climbs for a seventh session
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwind from higher oil prices — Rising crude amid geopolitical tensions is lifting energy names, supporting Valero’s fundamentals and sentiment as the sector outperforms. Hideout in the Energy Sector? Here are the Top Oil Stocks to Watch
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and market commentary supportive — Recent coverage highlights VLO’s outperformance versus the S&P 500 and reinforces a growth/earnings story that is attracting investors. Is Valero Energy Stock Outperforming the S&P 500?
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings date set — Valero confirmed its Q1 2026 earnings release and conference call for April 30, giving investors a clear upcoming catalyst but no new financial data today. Valero Energy Corporation to Announce First Quarter 2026 Earnings Results on April 30, 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Near-term price coverage — Several outlets noted VLO’s recent gains and trading strength; these stories reflect momentum but add little new fundamental information. Valero Energy (VLO) Increases Despite Market Slip: Here's What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: Removed from Goldman Sachs’ conviction list — Goldman Sachs dropped VLO from its US “conviction list,” which can reduce institutional visibility/allocations and is a headwind for sentiment even as other factors remain supportive. ConocoPhillips and Loar added to Goldman Sachs conviction list

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $225.81 on Thursday. 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 company has a market cap of $68.87 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.56, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 0.70. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $99.00 and a fifty-two week high of $225.96. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $189.14 and its 200-day simple moving average is $173.71.

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 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. Valero Energy's revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 62.83%.

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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