1,578 Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by Moody National Bank Trust Division

Moody National Bank Trust Division lowered its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 21.6% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. 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 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $922,728,000 after buying an additional 394,693 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE lifted 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 worth $1,243,630,000 after buying an additional 516,975 shares in the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 9.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,969,320 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $733,660,000 after acquiring an additional 254,604 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its position in Valero Energy by 18.4% in the 1st 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. Finally, Amundi increased its position in Valero Energy by 45.3% in the 1st 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. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VLO shares. 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. Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $255.00 to $411.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $365.00 to $457.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Zacks Research raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $357.25.

Key Stories 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 Trading Up 0.1%

NYSE VLO traded up $0.34 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $419.67. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 1,908,093 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,357,227. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $155.29 and a twelve month high of $422.99. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.41, a PEG ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.59. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $358.82 and a 200 day moving average of $291.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 49.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st were paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.1%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.92%.

Valero Energy Profile

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.