Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Stock Position Boosted by Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI

Key Points

• Citizens Financial Group increased its Valero stake by 37.5% in the third quarter, bringing its holdings to 9,566 shares valued at approximately $3.7 million. Institutional investors collectively own 78.69% of VLO.
• Valero reported exceptionally strong third-quarter results: adjusted EPS reached $23.90 versus a $21.17 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 43.3% year over year to $46.1 billion, driven by higher refining margins.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with Valero carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $379.94, though targets and ratings vary considerably. The stock’s outlook remains exposed to the cyclical nature of refining margins and fuel demand.

Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 37.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,566 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 2,608 shares during the quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $3,708,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Simplicity Wealth LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 10.4% in the third quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 17,001 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $6,590,000 after acquiring an additional 1,607 shares during the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 36,861.1% during the third quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 6,653 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,579,000 after buying an additional 6,635 shares in the last quarter. NTV Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $296,000. Sowell Financial Services LLC raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 20,885 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $8,095,000 after buying an additional 440 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 4.9% in the third quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 1,232 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $478,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $485.00 to $489.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $401.00 to $394.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $485.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday. Raymond James Financial upped their target price on Valero Energy from $350.00 to $450.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $379.94.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Exceptional Q3 earnings: Valero reported adjusted EPS of $23.90, well above the roughly $21.17 consensus, while revenue increased 43.3% year over year to $46.1 billion. Net income surged to $6.8 billion from $1.1 billion, driven primarily by sharply higher refining margins. Valero Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Favorable operating outlook: Management highlighted tight fuel markets, resilient demand, record ethanol production, improving renewable diesel and ethanol profitability, and expectations that fuel margins could rise again. The company also cited $9.8 billion in cash and disciplined capital spending, supporting financial flexibility. Valero Q3 Earnings Call Highlights Refining and Cash Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Several analysts remain constructive: Barclays raised its price target to $443 and retained an overweight rating, while Wells Fargo lifted its target to $489 and also maintained an overweight rating. Citigroup increased its target to $490, although it kept a neutral rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Refining-sector momentum is strong but cyclical: Coverage emphasizes that Valero and other refiners are benefiting from tight fuel inventories and unusually high margins. Those conditions support near-term earnings but may be vulnerable to changes in crude prices, fuel demand, supply, or refinery utilization. Valero kicks off refiner results with record quarterly profit on higher margins
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and analyst disagreement are weighing on sentiment: Freedom Broker reaffirmed a sell rating and assigned a $276 price target, implying substantial downside from the referenced trading level. TD Cowen raised its target to $400 but maintained a hold rating, underscoring concerns that much of the refining upside may already be reflected in VLO’s valuation.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $419.19 on Monday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $159.90 and a 52 week high of $461.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm's fifty day moving average is $393.03 and its 200 day moving average is $310.61. The firm has a market cap of $120.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.43, a P/E/G ratio of 0.24 and a beta of 0.59.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. The firm had revenue of $46.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.71 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 47.50% and a net margin of 8.44%. The business's revenue was up 43.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.66 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 54.22 earnings per share for the current year.

About Valero Energy

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VLO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.