Moody National Bank Trust Division Reduces Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Moody National Bank Trust Division cut its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 21.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 5,717 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 1,578 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,216,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 57.6% in the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 0.6% during the first quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 6,670 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the period. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. increased its stake in Valero Energy by 4.6% during the second quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 1,016 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $265,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Ridgecrest Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter. Ridgecrest Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,054 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $275,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. Finally, M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. M.E. Allison & CO. Inc. now owns 916 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $239,000 after acquiring an additional 50 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $329.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Valero Energy from $356.00 to $389.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “hold” rating and issued a $401.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, September 22nd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $365.00 to $457.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $357.25.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Fuel-policy changes could support refiners. Valero and other fuel companies climbed after the Trump administration temporarily allowed highway use of dyed diesel and deferred the federal fuel tax. The measures could improve fuel availability and support demand, although the effect on Valero’s refining margins remains uncertain. VLO, MPC, SUN, PSX Stocks Climb Overnight After Trump Allows Temporary Highway Use of Dyed Diesel, Defers Federal Fuel Tax
• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its valuation outlook. Barclays increased its price target for VLO from $323 to $441 and reiterated an “overweight” rating, implying additional upside from the reported trading level. The upgrade reinforces investor confidence in Valero’s earnings and refining outlook. Valero Energy Stock Price Expected to Rise, Barclays Analyst Says
• Positive Sentiment: Strong earnings expectations are supporting momentum. Analysts expect Valero’s third-quarter earnings to grow by a triple-digit percentage year over year. The company’s latest reported quarter also significantly exceeded consensus EPS and revenue estimates, providing a favorable fundamental backdrop. What to Expect From Valero Energy’s Next Quarterly Earnings Report
• Positive Sentiment: Momentum-focused research remains favorable. Zacks highlighted Valero as a potential momentum and long-term pick, citing its strong price performance and fundamental indicators. This coverage may attract additional momentum-oriented buyers. Are You Looking for a Top Momentum Pick? Why Valero Energy Is a Great Choice
• Neutral Sentiment: Emergency oil releases create a countervailing risk. The G7 plans to release up to 100 million barrels of emergency oil and diesel supplies to reduce record fuel prices. Lower diesel prices could ease consumer pressure, but they may also reduce refined-product pricing and compress Valero’s margins. G7 Releases 100 Million Barrels as Diesel Tops $6 a Gallon
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and profit-taking are risks. With VLO near its 52-week high and having rallied sharply, some of the expected earnings improvement may already be reflected in the stock. Investors will likely look for confirmation in the upcoming quarterly report before extending the rally.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock traded up $0.34 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $419.67. 1,908,093 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,357,227. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $358.82 and a 200-day simple moving average of $291.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The firm has a market cap of $120.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.41, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.59. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $155.29 and a 52 week high of $422.99.

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 for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The business’s revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.28 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 49.17 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.1%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.92%.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is an international petroleum refining, renewable fuels and marketing company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1980, the company processes crude oil and other feedstocks into transportation fuels and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero’s refined products include gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, lubricants and petrochemical feedstocks. The company also produces and markets ethanol and renewable diesel, including through its Diamond Green Diesel joint venture with Darling Ingredients.