Analysts’ Recent Ratings Changes for Valero Energy (VLO)

Several analysts have recently updated their ratings and price targets for Valero Energy (NYSE: VLO):

• 8/6/2026 – Valero Energy was upgraded by Weiss Ratings from “buy (b-)” to “buy (b)”.
• 8/4/2026 – Valero Energy was upgraded by Zacks Research from “hold” to “strong-buy”.
• 8/4/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by Mizuho from $289.00 to $300.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock.
• 8/3/2026 – Valero Energy was given a new $350.00 price target by Jefferies Financial Group Inc..
• 8/3/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by TD Cowen from $338.00 to $350.00. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.
• 7/31/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by UBS Group AG from $280.00 to $355.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 7/31/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by Wells Fargo & Company from $292.00 to $356.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 7/31/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by Barclays PLC from $279.00 to $323.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 7/23/2026 – Valero Energy was upgraded by Weiss Ratings from “hold (c+)” to “buy (b-)”.
• 7/23/2026 – Valero Energy had its “overweight” rating reaffirmed by Piper Sandler. They now have a $329.00 price target on the stock.
• 7/22/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. from $286.00 to $357.00. They now have a “buy” rating on the stock.
• 7/21/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by TD Cowen from $292.00 to $338.00. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.
• 7/14/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by Citigroup Inc. from $259.00 to $302.00. They now have a “neutral” rating on the stock.
• 7/13/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by Raymond James Financial, Inc. from $300.00 to $340.00. They now have a “strong-buy” rating on the stock.
• 7/8/2026 – Valero Energy was downgraded by Weiss Ratings from “buy (b-)” to “hold (c+)”.
• 7/1/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by Barclays PLC from $261.00 to $279.00. They now have an “overweight” rating on the stock.
• 6/29/2026 – Valero Energy had its price target raised by TD Cowen from $276.00 to $292.00. They now have a “hold” rating on the stock.
• 6/22/2026 – Valero Energy was downgraded by Zacks Research from “strong-buy” to “hold”.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued 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 is Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 19.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.