Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Raised to $270.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target increased by BMO Capital Markets from $230.00 to $270.00 in a report published on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an outperform rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Scotiabank raised shares of Valero Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $222.00.

Valero Energy Stock Down 4.7%

VLO opened at $239.79 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $71.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.62. The business has a 50-day moving average of $218.89 and a two-hundred day moving average of $188.58. Valero Energy has a 12 month low of $101.66 and a 12 month high of $258.43.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.55. The company had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The firm’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.64 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 62.83%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total transaction of $95,440.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VLO. Highline Wealth Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% during the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the period. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 157.0% in the fourth quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 124 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on VLO to $261 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in Valero’s outlook. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler bumped its target to $263 and maintained an “overweight” view, another institutional vote of confidence. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reiterated its “buy” rating on Valero, and BMO coverage also signaled expected upside—supporting the case for further appreciation if operational issues are resolved. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes VLO has delivered strong year-to-date and multi-year returns, which may temper investor sentiment about valuation even as fundamentals remain in focus. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reports the March 23 Port Arthur explosion destroyed a diesel hydrotreater and the control room for multiple hydrotreating units — a significant operational hit for Valero’s 380,000 bpd refinery that could constrain output, raise repair costs and pressure margins. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit alleges gross negligence tied to the Port Arthur incident, introducing legal exposure and regulatory scrutiny that increase uncertainty about potential liabilities and remediation timelines. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting the stock fell amid a market uptick underscores that the operational/legal news is outweighing analyst upgrades in near-term trading. Article Title

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.