Van ECK Associates Corp Sells 70,239 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Van ECK Associates Corp decreased its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 27.4% in the second quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 185,739 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 70,239 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $48,374,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 2,325.2% in the 4th quarter. Sierra Summit Advisors LLC now owns 36,378 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $5,922,000 after buying an additional 34,878 shares during the last quarter. Meiji Yasuda Asset Management Co Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 846.9% during the fourth 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 acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $1,743,000. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 4.2% in the first quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH now owns 192,430 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $47,546,000 after acquiring an additional 7,702 shares during the period. Finally, Ethic Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 10.2% in the fourth quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 45,008 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $7,327,000 after acquiring an additional 4,153 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $352.66 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $303.55 and a 200 day simple moving average of $259.07. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $101.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $150.10 and a one year high of $353.00.

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, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $39.47 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.28 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.7 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders 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 presently 19.92%.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tight refining market supports margins: Historically low fuel inventories, limited excess refining capacity and ongoing supply disruptions are creating a favorable environment for higher crack spreads. Valero’s flexible, complex coastal refinery network is well positioned to process various crude grades and supply multiple fuel markets. Valero Energy Looks Well Placed in the Tight Global Refining Market
• Positive Sentiment: Strong second-quarter performance and estimates: Valero’s second-quarter 2026 results reportedly showed substantial year-over-year improvement in adjusted EPS and revenue. Rising consensus estimates and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicate that analysts are becoming more constructive on the company’s earnings prospects. Did Strong Q2 2026 Earnings and Refining Tailwinds Just Shift Valero Energy’s Investment Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Relative market strength and favorable valuation: VLO recently gained while the broader market declined. Its low PEG ratio compared with industry peers may be adding to the stock’s appeal, particularly as refining profitability expectations improve. Valero Energy Gains as Market Dips
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst downgrade: Erste Group Bank AG lowered Valero from “buy” to “hold,” which could limit upside sentiment after the stock’s strong advance and near-record trading levels. Finviz Valero Analyst Update

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on VLO. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $279.00 to $323.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 14th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $350.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Finally, Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 4th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.00.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

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.