Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Moderate Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Analyst consensus: "Moderate Buy" — 21 brokerages cover Valero with an average 12‑month price target of $236.71 (1 sell, 8 hold, 10 buy, 2 strong buy).
• Q1 results and operations strong: Valero reported $4.22 EPS vs. $3.16 expected and $32.38B revenue, and plans to run refineries up to 95% capacity in Q2, supporting margins and free cash flow.
• Analyst upgrades and ownership: Several firms (Goldman, Barclays, TD Cowen, Erste) have raised targets/estimates, institutional investors own ~78.69% of the stock while insiders hold ~0.36% (one SVP sold 400 shares).

Shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the twenty-one brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, eight have given a hold recommendation, ten have given a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $236.7059.

VLO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wolfe Research reaffirmed an "underperform" rating and issued a $203.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $247.00 to $255.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, April 27th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $184.00 to $261.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total transaction of $95,440.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at $33,000. Anchor Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% during the first quarter. Anchor Investment Management LLC now owns 15,357 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $3,794,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. Diversify Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at $530,000. Valmark Advisers Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at $241,000. Finally, Welch & Forbes LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.3% during the first quarter. Welch & Forbes LLC now owns 23,320 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $5,762,000 after buying an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings and revenue beat — Valero reported $4.22 EPS and $32.38B revenue, a sharp rebound from a loss a year earlier as refining and renewable diesel margins surged; the print topped Street estimates and was accompanied by a positive press release. Valero Energy Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Operational strength — Valero plans to run its 13 refineries in the U.S. and U.K. at up to 95% of combined throughput (~3.0M bpd) in Q2, supporting margin capture and free cash flow potential. Valero to run refineries up to 95% capacity in Q2 2026, conf call
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst revisions — Erste Group lifted FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts materially, reflecting the stronger margin outlook and boosting earnings estimates. (Analyst note summarized in coverage)
• Neutral Sentiment: Long-term value view — Zacks highlights Valero as a top value stock for long-term investors based on style scores; useful for buy-and-hold thesis but less relevant to intra-day moves. Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Top Value Stock for the Long-Term
• Negative Sentiment: Sector headwinds and macro uncertainty — Broader “Big Oil” commentary warns of a tug-of-war (geopolitical news, margins volatility) that could keep energy stocks volatile and cap multiple expansion despite Valero’s beat. Big Oil Earnings Set To Sharply Decline. Blame This Tug-Of-War.
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term profit-taking risk — After a significant run toward a 52-week high, traders may be trimming positions, contributing to the pullback despite strong fundamentals. (Market technical/flow effect)

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $247.12 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $73.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.40 and a beta of 0.58. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $114.76 and a twelve month 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $232.26 and a two-hundred day moving average of $196.76.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.96%. Valero Energy's revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.89 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 23.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Company 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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