Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Makes New Investment in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor purchased 48,682 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,965,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Whipplewood Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% during the first 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 during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Life Planners purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy by 134.0% during the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $338.00 to $350.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Raymond James Financial raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.00.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:VLO opened at $352.66 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $101.54 billion, a PE ratio of 14.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $303.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $259.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.23. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $150.10 and a 12 month high of $353.00.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

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 given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tight refining market supports margins: Historically low fuel inventories, limited excess refining capacity and ongoing supply disruptions are creating a favorable environment for higher crack spreads. Valero’s flexible, complex coastal refinery network is well positioned to process various crude grades and supply multiple fuel markets. Valero Energy Looks Well Placed in the Tight Global Refining Market
• Positive Sentiment: Strong second-quarter performance and estimates: Valero’s second-quarter 2026 results reportedly showed substantial year-over-year improvement in adjusted EPS and revenue. Rising consensus estimates and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicate that analysts are becoming more constructive on the company’s earnings prospects. Did Strong Q2 2026 Earnings and Refining Tailwinds Just Shift Valero Energy’s Investment Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Relative market strength and favorable valuation: VLO recently gained while the broader market declined. Its low PEG ratio compared with industry peers may be adding to the stock’s appeal, particularly as refining profitability expectations improve. Valero Energy Gains as Market Dips
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst downgrade: Erste Group Bank AG lowered Valero from “buy” to “hold,” which could limit upside sentiment after the stock’s strong advance and near-record trading levels. Finviz Valero Analyst Update

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.