Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Stock Holdings Lifted by Pacer Advisors Inc.

Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 2,635.7% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 915,782 shares during the quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $154,736,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $275,239,000. Victory Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy by 49.3% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $276,224,000 after acquiring an additional 560,116 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $922,728,000 after purchasing an additional 394,693 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Life Cycle Investment Partners Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $46,854,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.59.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Lower crude oil prices could help Valero’s refining margins, since refiners often benefit when feedstock costs fall faster than fuel prices. Analysts also highlighted that fuel demand remains resilient and global refining capacity is still tight. Here's How Declining Crude Oil Prices are Benefiting Valero Energy
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was still being viewed favorably by Wall Street in recent commentary, with analyst optimism and a discussion of the company’s attractive refining upside and discounted valuation supporting the investment case. Is Valero Energy (VLO) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: An executive stock sale by SVP Eric A. Fisher may have added some overhang, though the transaction was relatively routine and did not signal a change in the company’s operating outlook. Valero Energy insider trade details
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary also noted that Valero underperformed peers, suggesting the decline may be part of broader energy-sector rotation rather than a major fundamental setback. Valero Energy Corp. stock underperforms Wednesday when compared to competitors
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical and supply developments around the Strait of Hormuz could increase global crude flows and pressure oil pricing dynamics, creating uncertainty for refining margins and inventory values at Valero. Valero (VLO) Faces A New Oil Supply Test As Hormuz Reopens

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $236.50 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $245.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $214.70. The company has a market cap of $70.22 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.19, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $130.78 and a 1 year high of $265.61.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. Valero Energy’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.89 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 27.45 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.88%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.90, for a total value of $1,776,750.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 27,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,453,629.80. The trade was a 21.59% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.