Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Raised to $389.00 at Wells Fargo & Company

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price objective lifted by equities researchers at Wells Fargo & Company from $356.00 to $389.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 8.85% from the stock’s previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Raymond James Financial upped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group set a $350.00 price target on Valero Energy in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Finally, Citigroup raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 14th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $289.94.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO traded down $1.55 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $357.37. 357,344 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,289,702. Valero Energy has a 52-week low of $151.25 and a 52-week high of $364.90. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $305.88 and a 200 day moving average of $260.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The company has a market cap of $102.90 billion, a PE ratio of 14.86, a P/E/G ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The business had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 40.7 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the 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 in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Woodline Partners LP lifted its position in Valero Energy by 40.7% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,747 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $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% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $259,000 after acquiring an additional 222 shares during the period. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at about $528,000. Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 11.3% during the second quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 269,043 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $36,165,000 after purchasing an additional 27,291 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.9% during the second 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 purchasing an additional 1,338 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Momentum and earnings revisions support the stock. Valero was highlighted among stocks with strong relative price strength, positive earnings revisions and resilient momentum despite market volatility. 5 Relative Price Strength Stocks With Momentum on Their Side
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised a forward earnings estimate. Erste Group Bank increased its FY2027 EPS forecast to $28.75 from $25.43, signaling improved expectations for Valero’s future profitability. However, the firm maintains a “Hold” rating. FY2027 EPS Estimate Update
• Positive Sentiment: Valero received strong momentum-stock recognition. Zacks identified VLO as a strong momentum stock and included it among its top-ranked growth stocks, potentially attracting additional investor interest. Why Valero Energy Is a Strong Momentum Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: The fresh high raises questions about additional upside. A Zacks review notes that VLO’s strong run has pushed the stock to a 52-week high, leaving investors to weigh its favorable fundamentals against the risk of limited near-term upside after the rally. Valero Energy Hits Fresh High
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and analyst caution may restrain gains. Valero’s “Hold” rating from Erste Group and its move close to the 52-week high could encourage profit-taking, even as the broader earnings outlook remains favorable.

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.