Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Sells 81,732 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lessened its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 3.2% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 2,489,192 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 81,732 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $615,158,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of VLO. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 0.9% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,177,191 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,959,065,000 after purchasing an additional 163,975 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,950,982 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,945,500,000 after purchasing an additional 63,919 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $1,111,542,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% in the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $922,728,000 after buying an additional 394,693 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,285,161 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $534,791,000 after buying an additional 17,336 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero expanded its share repurchase authorization, which can boost earnings per share over time and indicates the board sees value in the stock. Valero Energy Expands Share Repurchase Authorization Program
• Positive Sentiment: Valero declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.20 per share, reinforcing its appeal to income-focused investors and highlighting strong cash generation. Valero Energy Corporation Declares Regular Cash Dividend on Common Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Energy stocks rose late Friday afternoon, with the broader sector gaining on the day, which likely provided a supportive backdrop for VLO shares. Sector Update: Energy Stocks Rise Late Afternoon
• Neutral Sentiment: Separately, there was unusual put-option activity in Valero, suggesting some traders are hedging or positioning for near-term volatility rather than making a clear directional bet.
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent articles also pointed to improving earnings estimates and momentum, which may be helping sentiment, though these were commentary pieces rather than new company announcements. Can Valero Energy (VLO) Run Higher on Rising Earnings Estimates?

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.0%

VLO opened at $309.50 on Monday. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $130.78 and a fifty-two week high of $309.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $91.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.49, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.55. The company’s 50-day moving average is $258.97 and its 200 day moving average is $229.77. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. Research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 32.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.6%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. This trade represents 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. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 12th. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $259.00 to $302.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, April 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $253.06.

Valero Energy 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.