Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Stock: Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. Decreases Holdings

Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. reduced its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 19.0% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 108,022 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 25,384 shares during the period. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $41,870,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Zone Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,027 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $398,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1.0% in the 3rd quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 2,608 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 57.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.6% in the 1st quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 6,670 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,648,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. Bouchey Financial Group Ltd. now owns 1,016 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $265,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. Zacks Research upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $323.00 to $441.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 6th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $467.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $389.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $382.62.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO stock opened at $436.56 on Thursday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $156.26 and a 12-month high of $461.52. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $125.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.27 and a beta of 0.59. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $389.82 and a 200 day simple moving average of $308.10.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. The firm 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% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 52.55 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Higher refining margins are raising expectations for Valero’s third-quarter performance. As a major independent petroleum refiner, VLO could benefit from improved crack spreads and stronger profitability in its core refining business. Valero Energy’s Q3 Earnings Approach: Higher Refining Margins Fuel Optimism
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent momentum has attracted attention from investors. The stock had gained 2.53% over the prior week, reflecting expectations that the earnings report could benefit from favorable refining conditions. Valero Energy Is Up 2.53% in One Week
• Neutral Sentiment: Wall Street is focusing not only on revenue and earnings, but also on key operating metrics expected with the third-quarter results. The report could determine whether the recent rally is supported by fundamentals. Insights Into Valero Energy Q3: Wall Street Projections for Key Metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: The company’s earnings announcement is the immediate focus for traders, increasing the likelihood of heightened volatility around the release. Valero previously reported a strong quarter, with earnings and revenue exceeding expectations, which sets a high bar for another upside surprise.
• Negative Sentiment: A report indicated that Valero shares fell 1.80% amid the run-up to the scheduled results, suggesting some profit-taking or caution ahead of the announcement. Investors may also be concerned that favorable refining-margin expectations are already reflected in the stock. Valero Energy Scheduled Results
• Negative Sentiment: Geopolitical disruptions have contributed to higher diesel costs, creating potential pressure on fuel consumers and operating expenses. The proposed $8 billion farmer relief program could cushion diesel demand, but it also underscores continued energy-market instability. Trump Announces $8B Bailout for Farmers

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.