Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Stock: ProShare Advisors LLC Decreases Stake

ProShare Advisors LLC lowered its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 52,960 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 2,614 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $20,528,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Valero Energy by 11.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,033,310 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,243,630,000 after buying an additional 516,975 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 9.4% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,969,320 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $733,660,000 after acquiring an additional 254,604 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 18.4% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,842,339 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $702,285,000 after acquiring an additional 442,177 shares in the last quarter. Amundi increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 45.3% during the first quarter. Amundi now owns 2,584,976 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $638,695,000 after acquiring an additional 806,018 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 33.9% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,058,341 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $536,074,000 after purchasing an additional 520,642 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Freedom Broker cut shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $276.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $485.00 to $489.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Finally, Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $395.00 to $414.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $380.47.

Valero Energy Stock Down 4.7%

Shares of VLO stock opened at $380.86 on Tuesday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $159.90 and a 12 month high of $461.52. The stock has a market cap of $109.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.57, a P/E/G ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $398.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $286.06.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.17 by $2.73. The company had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.71 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 47.50% and a net margin of 8.44%. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 43.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.66 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 57.42 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.3%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 10.80%.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target for VLO to $420 from $411 while maintaining an “equal weight” rating. The new target implies roughly 10% upside from the referenced share price, providing some support despite the neutral recommendation. Morgan Stanley raises Valero Energy price target
• Positive Sentiment: Valero agreed to acquire LyondellBasell’s former Houston refinery site for $320.5 million. The transaction could expand or improve Valero’s refining asset base and may offer longer-term operating and portfolio benefits, although near-term financial effects were not detailed. LyondellBasell to Sell Former Houston Refinery Site
• Positive Sentiment: Recent research continues to characterize VLO as a value-oriented stock. Zacks highlighted Valero among companies with favorable profitability and valuation characteristics, while noting its strong return on equity and relatively inexpensive earnings multiple. Why Valero Energy Is a Top Value Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high options volume was reported for VLO. Elevated activity can signal increased investor positioning or expectations for volatility, but the report does not establish whether traders are bullish or bearish. Valero Energy Sees Unusually High Options Volume

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international energy company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The company’s primary business is refining and marketing transportation fuels, including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and other products used by commercial, industrial and consumer customers.

Valero operates refineries in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Its refining operations also produce asphalt, petrochemical feedstocks and other petroleum-based products. The company markets fuel through wholesale channels and branded retail networks, including Valero, Beacon and Shamrock-branded locations.

In addition to conventional refining, Valero has businesses focused on renewable fuels.