VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Invests $870,000 in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems purchased 3,340 Valero Energy shares worth approximately $870,000 in the second quarter. Institutional investors collectively own 78.69% of VLO.
• Valero reported quarterly EPS of $12.54, exceeding the $10.11 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 48.8% year over year to $44.48 billion.
• The company maintains a quarterly dividend of $1.20, or $4.80 annually, representing a 1.2% yield. Analysts give VLO a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, with a $301.76 average price target.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm purchased 3,340 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $870,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Woodline Partners LP raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 40.7% during the 1st quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,747 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $3,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,735 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter worth $528,000. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in Valero Energy by 11.3% in the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 269,043 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $36,165,000 after buying an additional 27,291 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 145,810 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $19,600,000 after buying an additional 1,338 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE:VLO opened at $390.81 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $327.00 and a 200 day simple moving average of $271.83. The firm has a market capitalization of $112.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 0.57. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $155.29 and a 1-year high of $399.26. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. The company's revenue was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 41.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.2%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.92%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VLO. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $279.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Raymond James Financial lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $329.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, September 3rd. Finally, Erste Group Bank cut Valero Energy from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Two investment 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 assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $301.76.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy 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 completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong refining margins support profitability. Tight refined-product markets, relatively low diesel inventories and firm distillate demand are improving fuel crack spreads. Valero’s flexible coastal refinery network may allow it to capture these margins while global refining capacity remains constrained. Will Tight Refined Product Markets Support Valero's Profitability?
• Positive Sentiment: Energy-market tailwinds are lifting the sector. Crude prices above $100 per barrel, amid concerns about shipping attacks and wider Middle East supply disruptions, have supported energy and refining stocks. Valero Energy gains as strong refining margins and energy-market tailwinds support shares
• Positive Sentiment: Recent earnings and estimates remain favorable. Valero’s latest reported quarter produced $12.54 in EPS versus a $10.11 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 48.8% year over year. Erste Group Bank also raised its 2026 EPS forecast to $43.31 from $42.76, above the current consensus estimate of $41.15.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and quantitative support add to bullish sentiment. UBS recently raised its price target to $450 while maintaining a Buy rating, and Zacks included VLO among its Rank #1 “Strong Buy” growth stocks. A reported bullish order-flow signal also attracted trading attention. Valero Energy Shares Up 2% After Key Trading Signal
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning is mixed. Hundreds of institutions added shares in the latest quarter, but several large investors reduced their holdings, including T. Rowe Price, Ameriprise, Victory Capital and Geode.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling is a cautionary signal. Valero insiders reportedly made three open-market sales totaling approximately 22,500 shares over the past six months, with no reported purchases. In addition, some published analyst targets remain well below the current share price, highlighting valuation risk if refining margins weaken.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Its primary business is refining crude oil into transportation fuels and other products, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, lubricants and petrochemical feedstocks.

Valero operates refineries and related facilities in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, and markets its products through wholesale and commercial channels in North America and other international markets.

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