Sei Investments Co. Lowers Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Sei Investments Co. cut its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 9.6% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 300,823 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 31,772 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $74,326,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at about $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 134.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $27,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have commented on VLO. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of 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 reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, June 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $261.00 to $279.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. One investment 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 issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $266.71.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $302.48 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $89.81 billion, a PE ratio of 21.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.21 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $130.78 and a 52-week high of $320.24. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $265.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $234.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The business had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.89 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 35.11 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced 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. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.

Trending Headlines about 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.