U S Global Investors Inc. Boosts Stake in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

U S Global Investors Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 200.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 3,000 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the period. U S Global Investors Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $741,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. raised its position in Valero Energy by 33.5% in the 4th quarter. Beacon Investment Advisory Services Inc. now owns 42,376 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $6,898,000 after purchasing an additional 10,634 shares during the period. Friedenthal Financial bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $954,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 359.0% during the 4th quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 14,243 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,319,000 after acquiring an additional 11,140 shares during the last quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 139.9% in the third quarter. Mirabella Financial Services LLP now owns 18,701 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,178,000 after purchasing an additional 10,905 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 24.7% in the 4th quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 565,171 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $92,004,000 after acquiring an additional 112,118 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have weighed in on VLO. Scotiabank increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. UBS Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, June 11th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $247.59.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of VLO stock traded down $0.71 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $280.54. 1,931,882 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,034,427. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $130.78 and a 1 year high of $287.05. The firm has a market cap of $83.30 billion, a PE ratio of 20.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55. The company’s 50 day moving average is $253.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $224.56. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 28.72 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.88%.

Valero Energy Company Profile

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.