Weiss Asset Management LP Takes $26.14 Million Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Weiss Asset Management opened a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter, buying 105,816 shares valued at about $26.1 million.
• Institutional ownership in Valero remains very high, with hedge funds and other large investors holding 78.69% of the company’s stock. Several major firms, including State Street, Schwab, and Norges Bank, also reported sizable stakes.
• Valero’s recent results and outlook have been upbeat: the company beat quarterly earnings estimates, continues to pay a $1.20 quarterly dividend, and has received multiple bullish analyst calls with a consensus Moderate Buy rating.

Weiss Asset Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 105,816 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $26,145,000.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp grew its position in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,177,191 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,959,065,000 after purchasing an additional 163,975 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,950,982 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,945,500,000 after buying an additional 63,919 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,111,542,000. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $922,728,000 after buying an additional 394,693 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,285,161 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $534,791,000 after buying an additional 17,336 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was 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 owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $302.48 on Friday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $130.78 and a 12 month high of $320.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15. The firm has a market capitalization of $89.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.98, a P/E/G ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.55. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $265.22 and its 200 day simple moving average is $234.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The firm's quarterly revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.89 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 36.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on VLO. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $329.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 31st. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $280.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $266.71.

Key Stories Impacting 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

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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