Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. Increases Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 5.0% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 730,284 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 34,917 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $190,196,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2,325.2% during the 4th quarter. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC now owns 36,378 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,922,000 after purchasing an additional 34,878 shares during the period. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 846.9% in the 4th quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. now owns 14,752 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,401,000 after buying an additional 13,194 shares during the last quarter. North Dakota State Investment Board purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $1,743,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.2% during the first quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 192,430 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $47,546,000 after buying an additional 7,702 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank raised its position in Valero Energy by 51.0% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 350,913 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $57,125,000 after acquiring an additional 118,506 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $347.25 on Tuesday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $135.02 and a 12-month high of $350.63. The company has a market cap of $99.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.41, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. 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’s 50-day moving average price is $285.70 and its 200-day moving average price is $249.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher gasoline prices, above $4 per gallon, may support attractive refining margins for efficient refiners such as Valero. The favorable industry backdrop could improve cash generation and near-term earnings prospects. 4 Refining Stocks to Buy as Gas Prices Top $4 a Gallon
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1, or “Strong Buy,” lists covering growth, value and overall stock ideas. These rankings reflect favorable quantitative factors and may increase buying interest. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 17th
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are moving Valero’s earnings estimates higher, suggesting improving expectations for profitability and potentially continued upward momentum. The company’s latest quarterly results already showed a substantial earnings and revenue beat, strengthening the fundamental case. Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for Valero Energy
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually high put-option activity was reported, with investors purchasing 23,642 puts—179% above average daily volume. This may indicate increased hedging or bearish speculation, although options activity alone does not establish a clear direction for the stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $279.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $329.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Zacks Research upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $288.00.

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.