Key Points
- Insider selling: SVP Eric Fisher sold 8,311 shares at an average price of $227.69 on March 11 (≈$1.89M), cutting his stake by 16.44% to 42,242 shares, per the SEC filing.
- Dividend hike: Valero raised its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80) for a ~2.1% yield, up from $1.13, with a payout ratio of about 62.8%.
- Strong quarterly results and analyst support: Valero beat estimates with EPS of $3.82 (vs. $3.27) and revenue of $30.37B (vs. $28.2B); Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $237 and the stock carries a consensus "Moderate Buy."
Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) SVP Eric Fisher sold 400 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total transaction of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink.
Valero Energy Stock Down 1.1%
NYSE:VLO traded down $2.56 on Friday, hitting $233.25. The stock had a trading volume of 1,945,547 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,613,160. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $99.00 and a 1 year high of $240.27. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $196.53 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $177.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market cap of $69.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.18 and a beta of 0.70.
Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The company's revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.64 EPS. Analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.
Valero Energy Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th were paid a $1.20 dividend. This is a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is currently 62.83%.
Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy
Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs raised its price target to $237 and kept a Buy rating, providing upward pressure from a major Wall Street shop. Goldman Sachs price target raise (Benzinga)
- Positive Sentiment: Valero increased its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80), which can attract income-focused investors and support demand for the shares. Dividend disclosure (MarketBeat VLO)
- Positive Sentiment: Large institutional buying noted (e.g., Norges Bank and other funds adding sizable positions), signaling conviction from long-term investors in the refining cycle. Institutional activity (MarketBeat VLO)
- Neutral Sentiment: Analysts have adjusted fair-value estimates (example: a shift toward ~$202.72), generating mixed calls — some firms lift targets while others are more cautious depending on refining/crude assumptions. Analyst fair-value revisions (Yahoo)
- Neutral Sentiment: Multiple investor-attention and “dividend thesis” articles (Zacks/Yahoo) are increasing visibility and may boost flows, but they do not change underlying fundamentals by themselves. Investor attention (Yahoo)
- Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: SVP Eric A. Fisher disclosed sales of 8,311 shares (avg ~$227.69) and 400 shares (avg ~$238.60) this week — sizable disposals that can spook some investors despite his remaining holdings. SEC filing (Form 4)
- Negative Sentiment: Policy risk: the White House is reportedly considering a temporary Jones Act waiver to ease U.S. fuel shipping and tame pump prices — if enacted, lower domestic fuel prices could weigh on refiners’ margins and revenues. Jones Act waiver discussion (Yahoo)
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on VLO shares. UBS Group reissued a "buy" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $190.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Argus upgraded Valero Energy to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $193.20.
View Our Latest Research Report on Valero Energy
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy
Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 975 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $159,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 32.9% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,610 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,564,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.4% during the 4th quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 3,788 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 16,268 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,651,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Valero Energy Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
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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