Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Acquired by Hsbc Holdings PLC

Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 743,997 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 20,234 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC owned approximately 0.26% of Valero Energy worth $194,174,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. EFG International AG grew its stake in Valero Energy by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. EFG International AG now owns 2,618 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $682,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. SIR Capital Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at about $32,378,000. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 8.6% in the second quarter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp now owns 235,150 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $60,994,000 after acquiring an additional 18,627 shares in the last quarter. Front Street Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter worth about $203,000. Finally, Fiduciary Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter worth about $89,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VLO. Citigroup upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted 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 note on Friday, June 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $288.00.

Valero Energy Trading Down 1.6%

NYSE VLO opened at $340.61 on Wednesday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $145.14 and a 1 year high of $353.00. 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 capitalization of $98.07 billion, a PE ratio of 14.13, a P/E/G ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a fifty day moving average of $296.84 and a 200 day moving average of $256.30.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.28 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.92%.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts collectively rate VLO a Buy. While the article cautions that brokerage recommendations can be overly optimistic, the favorable consensus may continue to support investor demand. Wall Street Analysts See Valero Energy as a Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was included in Zacks’ list of Rank #1, or Strong Buy, growth stocks. Its growth, value and momentum characteristics are being highlighted as reasons for long-term investor interest. Best Growth Stocks to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: In a comparison with Marathon Petroleum, Valero receives the edge because of its stronger balance sheet and share-price momentum, despite Marathon offering a cheaper valuation. This reinforces VLO’s positioning among large refiners. Marathon Versus Valero
• Positive Sentiment: Valero is also identified as a relatively low-beta stock, potentially appealing to investors seeking refining exposure with less market volatility. Low-Beta Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: An article discusses whether Valero, along with other refiners, could afford to acquire Delek US Holdings. No transaction was announced, so the potential deal is not an immediate catalyst. Could Valero Afford Delek US Holdings
• Negative Sentiment: Valero shares have risen sharply—about 14% over the past month, 43% over three months and more than 100% year to date—while recently easing slightly. Analysts examining fair value suggest the stock may be fully valued or trading above intrinsic value, increasing the risk of profit-taking. Is Valero Fully Valued

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

About Valero Energy

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.