Valero Energy’s (VLO) “Underperform” Rating Reiterated at Wolfe Research

Wolfe Research restated their underperform rating on shares of Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) in a research report released on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat.com reports. The brokerage currently has a $203.00 target price on the oil and gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $180.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial upped their target price on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $228.18.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $233.82 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $69.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. Valero Energy has a fifty-two week low of $110.00 and a fifty-two week high of $258.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The business’s 50-day moving average is $227.84 and its 200-day moving average is $193.43.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 EPS 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 analysts’ expectations of $28.20 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.64 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 19.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related 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 sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 70.2% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. Finally, Cypress Capital Management LLC WY acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

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”, a near-term catalyst that can attract momentum buyers and support the share price. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks previews predict Valero has the setup for an earnings beat next week, citing the right mix of consensus trends and company drivers — this raises the odds of an upside surprise at the report. Valero Energy (VLO) Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks has added VLO to momentum/strong-buy lists, signaling institutional and retail interest that may boost demand into earnings. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for April 22nd
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note VLO is a “trending” stock among retail users — increased attention can amplify moves but is not a directional fundamental driver by itself. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target from $178 to $226 and moved to “sector outperform” — a material raise in analyst conviction even though the new target sits near current levels. Scotiabank raises target
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an “Underperform” rating, which could cap upside or pressure sentiment among more cautious investors ahead of the print. Wolfe Research Reiterates Underperform

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.