Vanguard Group Inc. Cuts Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. trimmed its stake in Valero by 1.1% in Q4, selling 418,285 shares to hold 37,647,983 shares (about 12.34% of the company) valued at roughly $6.13 billion.
• Wall Street sentiment is bullish overall—UBS and Wells Fargo raised targets to $280 and $292 respectively—and the consensus rating is a Moderate Buy with an average target price of $230.65.
• Valero posted an earnings beat (Q4 EPS $3.82 vs. $3.27 est.) on $30.37B revenue; the stock trades near $235.66 with a $70.47B market cap and a 52‑week range of $112–$258.43.

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,647,983 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 418,285 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 12.34% of Valero Energy worth $6,128,715,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $35,000. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 145.3% in the third quarter. Physician Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 211 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 125 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 194.4% in the fourth quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc now owns 212 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. UBS Group raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $230.65.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $235.66 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.85, a P/E/G ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 0.62. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $112.00 and a 52 week high of $258.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm's 50 day moving average is $228.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $194.37.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The business had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The company's revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 19.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were 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 is accessible through this link. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded VLO from "hold" to "strong-buy," giving the stock a favorable analyst vote that can support further buying interest. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks and other outlets preview VLO’s upcoming earnings and flag that Valero has the key ingredients for a likely earnings beat (strong refining margins, stable throughput expectations), which tends to lift sentiment into the print. Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note VLO is a "trending" stock on investor platforms — increased attention can boost volume and volatility but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Trending Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Reminder: Valero is scheduled to report quarterly results shortly; timing and any guidance/comments on margins and throughput will likely be the primary near-term driver. Earnings Date Note
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $222 but kept an "equal weight" rating — the $222 TP is below the current market level, implying downside versus today's price and signaling limited upside from this shop. Morgan Stanley Note
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an "Underperform" rating, which could pressure sentiment among more cautious institutional holders and add selling pressure if the earnings print disappoints. Wolfe Research

About Valero Energy

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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