Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock Gets Price Target Bump from Barclays

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its target price upped by equities researchers at Barclays from $441.00 to $443.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Friday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Barclays‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 4.54% from the stock’s previous close.

VLO has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $329.00 to $435.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, September 3rd. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $401.00 to $394.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $255.00 to $411.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, September 14th. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $386.12.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.6%

NYSE:VLO traded down $2.52 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $423.76. 182,374 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,284,022. The company has a fifty day moving average of $391.47 and a 200 day moving average of $309.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.64. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $159.90 and a twelve month high of $461.52. The company has a market capitalization of $122.01 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.62, a P/E/G ratio of 0.26 and a beta of 0.59.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. The business had revenue of $46.10 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $42.71 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 43.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.66 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that Valero Energy will post 52.55 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Gibbs Wealth Management lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 6.9% in the 3rd quarter. Gibbs Wealth Management now owns 917 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 15.0% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 469 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $182,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 15.2% during the third quarter. Wedbush Securities Inc. now owns 4,793 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,858,000 after buying an additional 634 shares in the last quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.5% during the third quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 13,453 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,215,000 after buying an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BRIA Capital Group LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 1.9% during the third quarter. BRIA Capital Group LLC now owns 2,834 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,098,000 after buying an additional 54 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero reported third-quarter net income of approximately $6.8 billion, or $23.89 per share, compared with $1.1 billion, or $3.53 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted EPS of $23.90 exceeded the roughly $21.17 consensus estimate, while revenue rose 43.3% year over year to $46.1 billion. Valero Energy Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The earnings surge was driven primarily by much stronger refining margins, tight fuel inventories and resilient demand. Renewable diesel and ethanol operations also improved, with ethanol production reaching a record level, supporting cash generation. Valero Q3 Earnings Surge Sixfold to $6.8 Billion on Refining Boom
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects fuel margins to strengthen again, suggesting near-term earnings momentum could persist despite efforts by the Trump administration to lower fuel prices. Valero also completed a key refining upgrade, potentially improving operating performance. Valero expects fuel margins to rise again
• Neutral Sentiment: Although results were substantially above expectations, lower throughput volumes show that earnings remain sensitive to refinery utilization, fuel demand and volatile commodity-market conditions. Valero Energy Q3 Earnings Top Estimates on Refining Strength
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $400 but maintained a Hold rating, implying downside from the recent trading level. The cautious stance suggests analysts may view the exceptional quarterly profit as cyclical rather than a sustainable new earnings baseline.

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.