Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC Invests $891,000 in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 5,471 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $891,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $35,000. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 32.9% in the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 51 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $184.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 8th. Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $255.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $243.65.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $256.03 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $76.02 billion, a PE ratio of 18.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12 month low of $127.83 and a 12 month high of $265.61. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $244.66 and a 200 day moving average price of $210.01.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.89 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 26.51 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 34.88%.

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlighted Valero as one of the best low-beta stocks to buy right away, pointing to recent gains, solid trading volume, and the appeal of defensive energy exposure amid market volatility. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note said cleaner transportation fuels are powering Valero’s growth, citing expansion in renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel, and ethanol as longer-term cash flow drivers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was also featured as a strong value and growth name, with Zacks assigning it favorable rankings that may reinforce investor confidence in the stock’s earnings and valuation profile. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s refining strength was emphasized again in a Zacks article arguing that high oil prices should not fully derail margins because of tight global refining capacity and low fuel inventories. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple headlines noted that Valero recently hit a 52-week high and has outperformed the Nasdaq over the past year, suggesting strong momentum and supportive fundamentals. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: One article discussed whether VLO’s run can continue after reaching a 52-week high, but it mainly framed the question around existing fundamentals rather than delivering a clear new catalyst. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A Yahoo Finance piece flagged possible bearish signals from insider stock sales over the past year, which could temper enthusiasm if investors focus on governance or insider sentiment. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha argued Valero may be a great business but at the wrong price, implying valuation could be a headwind after the stock’s strong run. Article Title

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.