Freestone Grove Partners LP Buys 5,851 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Freestone Grove Partners LP grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 3.5% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 171,632 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 5,851 shares during the period. Freestone Grove Partners LP’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $44,700,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Woodline Partners LP lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,747 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,735 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $259,000 after purchasing an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $528,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 269,043 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $36,165,000 after buying an additional 27,291 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its position in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 145,810 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $19,600,000 after buying an additional 1,338 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy 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 sale, the senior vice president directly 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 SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several research reports. UBS Group upped their target price on Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Raymond James Financial upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $350.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $288.00.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $348.67 on Thursday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $146.76 and a 1 year high of $353.00. The company has a market cap of $100.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.47, a PEG ratio of 0.22 and a beta of 0.55. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $299.01 and a 200 day moving average of $257.39. 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 (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The business had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.28 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.92%.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Strong refining environment supports earnings: Valero and Marathon Petroleum have more than doubled in 2026 as global refining margins surged amid supply disruptions. Barron’s reportedly sees additional upside for U.S. refiners if favorable market conditions persist. Marathon Petroleum and Valero Energy Have Exploded in 2026, But Barron’s Sees More Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Cash and balance-sheet strength may support shareholder returns: Analysts highlight Valero’s approximately $7.9 billion cash balance, low leverage, and history of capital returns. Refinery upgrades could improve future cash generation and provide flexibility for dividends, buybacks, or debt management. Will Valero’s Excess Cash Translate Into Higher Shareholder Returns?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst and style-screen support remains favorable: Valero is being promoted as a growth, value, low-beta, and low-leverage idea. Zacks lists VLO among its Strong Buy growth stocks, while the average Wall Street recommendation is equivalent to Buy. Falling Treasury yields may also improve the appeal of financially resilient companies. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for August 25th
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero compares favorably with Marathon Petroleum: Marathon offers a lower valuation and MPLX exposure, but commentary favors Valero for its stronger balance sheet and share-price momentum. Marathon vs. Valero: Which Refining Stock Is the Better Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation creates downside risk: After substantial gains, including strong one- and three-month performance, some analysis questions whether Valero now trades above fair value. Investors may therefore become more sensitive to weaker refining margins or profit-taking. Is Valero Energy Fully Valued as Shares Trade Above Fair Value?

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.