Sovran Advisors LLC Has $1.13 Million Stock Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Sovran Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 115.3% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,462 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,390 shares during the quarter. Sovran Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,127,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Whipplewood Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Financial Life Planners acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.1%

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $280.54 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $253.35 and its 200-day moving average is $224.99. The stock has a market cap of $83.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $130.78 and a twelve month high of $287.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 31.04 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s Gulf Coast refining network is benefiting from strong fuel demand, elevated crack spreads, and rising exports, which should support refining profitability. Strong Fuel Demand & Elevated Crack Spreads Support Valero’s Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent Russell reclassification into larger-cap and growth benchmarks may be drawing incremental index demand for the stock, while lower crude costs can help preserve refining margins. Why Valero (VLO) Is Up 5.0% After Russell Reclassification And Refining Margin Tailwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed Middle East tensions and rising oil prices are keeping refining margins in focus, which can be supportive for Valero if crude costs remain softer than product prices. Can Valero Energy Benefit From Renewed Middle East Tensions?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero is also being highlighted as a trending stock, which signals elevated investor attention but does not by itself change fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VLO. Scotiabank increased their price target on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Zacks Research downgraded Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Barclays increased their target price on Valero Energy from $261.00 to $279.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $247.59.

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.