Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC

Key Points

• O Shaughnessy Asset Management reduced its Valero Energy stake by 13% in the fourth quarter, selling 47,228 shares and leaving it with 316,297 shares valued at about $51.5 million.
• Valero reported better-than-expected quarterly results, posting $4.22 EPS versus the $3.16 estimate and revenue of $32.38 billion, up 7% year over year.
• The company also announced a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, payable June 23, for an annualized yield of 1.9% and a payout ratio of 34.88%.

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 13.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 316,297 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 47,228 shares during the period. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC owned approximately 0.10% of Valero Energy worth $51,490,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 32.9% during the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $35,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $256.03 on Monday. The company has a market capitalization of $76.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $244.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $210.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $127.83 and a twelve month high of $265.61.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 26.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total transaction of $1,892,331.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares in the company, valued at $9,618,080.98. This represents a 16.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Trending Headlines about Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Valero as one of the best low-beta stocks to buy right away, pointing to recent gains, solid trading volume, and the appeal of defensive energy exposure amid market volatility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note said cleaner transportation fuels are powering Valero’s growth, citing expansion in renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and ethanol as longer-term cash flow drivers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was also featured as a strong value and growth name, with Zacks assigning it favorable rankings that may reinforce investor confidence in the stock’s earnings and valuation profile. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s refining strength was emphasized again in a Zacks article arguing that high oil prices should not fully derail margins because of tight global refining capacity and low fuel inventories. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple headlines noted that Valero recently hit a 52-week high and has outperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, suggesting strong momentum and supportive fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One article discussed whether VLO’s run can continue after reaching a 52-week high, but it mainly framed the question around existing fundamentals rather than delivering a clear new catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance piece flagged possible bearish signals from insider stock sales over the past year, which could temper enthusiasm if investors focus on governance or insider sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argued Valero may be a great business but at the wrong price, implying valuation could be a headwind after the stock’s strong run. Article Title

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Wolfe Research restated an "underperform" rating and set a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $243.65.

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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