Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio

Key Points

• Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio trimmed its Valero Energy stake by 9.4% in the first quarter, selling 15,243 shares and leaving it with 146,723 shares valued at about $36.25 million.
• Valero reported better-than-expected quarterly results, with EPS of $4.22 versus the $3.16 estimate and revenue of $32.38 billion, up 7% year over year.
• The company also declared a $1.20 quarterly dividend, and analyst sentiment remains generally positive, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $266.71.

Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio cut its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 9.4% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 146,723 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 15,243 shares during the quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $36,252,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2,635.7% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $154,736,000 after buying an additional 915,782 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $276,224,000 after buying an additional 560,116 shares during the period. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $922,728,000 after buying an additional 394,693 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.9%

Valero Energy stock opened at $302.48 on Friday. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $265.22 and a 200-day simple moving average of $234.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $130.78 and a one year high of $320.24.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.89 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 35.11 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.6%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is 34.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Zacks Research cut shares of Valero Energy from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $261.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Mizuho upped their target price on Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $329.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $266.71.

Trending Headlines about Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target on Valero Energy to $357 from a prior level, reinforcing a bullish view and suggesting additional upside from current levels. The Goldman Sachs Group Increases Valero Energy NYSE: VLO Price Target to $357.00
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reaffirmed its overweight rating and set a $329 price target, signaling continued confidence in Valero’s refining business and valuation. Valero Energy had its "overweight" rating reaffirmed by Piper Sandler
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s board affirmed its regular quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, which supports the stock’s appeal for income-focused investors and may be contributing to recent momentum. Valero Energy (VLO) Eyes Earnings And Crude Supply Shifts, Is The Stock Fully Priced?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Valero as a strong momentum stock, reflecting technical strength that can attract traders and trend-following investors. Here's Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts expect Valero’s earnings to grow when it reports next week, but Zacks also said the setup does not look especially favorable for an earnings beat, creating a mixed near-term outlook. Valero Energy (VLO) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week's Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero was noted to be attracting unusually high investor attention on Zacks, which indicates rising interest but does not by itself change the fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: One report said Valero underperformed peers on Thursday, suggesting some short-term profit-taking or relative weakness versus other refiners. Valero Energy Corp. stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors

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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