Janus Henderson Group PLC Raises Stock Position in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Janus Henderson Group PLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 1.9% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 136,309 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,596 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $33,678,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,177,191 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,959,065,000 after buying an additional 163,975 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth 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 acquiring an additional 63,919 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,111,542,000. Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 394,693 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp boosted its position in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,285,161 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $534,791,000 after purchasing an additional 17,336 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value 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 $5,294,212.14. This represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.0%

NYSE VLO opened at $312.89 on Monday. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $270.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $239.10. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $130.78 and a 52 week high of $320.24. The company has a market capitalization of $92.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.20 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion during 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 was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.28 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 36.95 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.5%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 19.92%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VLO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. Wolfe Research reissued an “underperform” rating and issued a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $286.00 to $357.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday. Finally, Scotiabank increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $277.47.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Record earnings significantly exceeded expectations. Valero reported second-quarter net income of $3.7 billion, or $12.62 per share, versus $714 million, or $2.28 per share, a year earlier. Adjusted EPS of $12.54 surpassed consensus estimates near $9.87-$10.13, while revenue rose 48.8% to $44.48 billion. Valero Energy beats quarterly profit estimates on higher refining margins
• Positive Sentiment: Refining conditions were particularly favorable. Higher refining margins, sturdy fuel demand and increased U.S. fuel exports—partly supported by heightened Middle East tensions—boosted profitability. Lower-cost Venezuelan feedstocks also aided results. Valero posts highest-ever Q2 profit
• Positive Sentiment: Renewables and capital discipline added support. Gains in renewable diesel and ethanol contributed to stronger profits and cash flow, while management emphasized disciplined capital allocation and ongoing shareholder returns. VLO Q2 Earnings Call Highlights Refining Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts raised their outlooks. Wells Fargo increased its price target from $292 to $356 and retained an “overweight” rating. Barclays lifted its target from $279 to $323 and also rated the stock “overweight,” reinforcing the positive reaction to the earnings report.
• Positive Sentiment: The dividend remains a key attraction. Valero reaffirmed its $1.20-per-share quarterly dividend, payable August 31 to shareholders of record July 31, supporting the investment case based on cash returns. Valero Energy Corp’s Dividend Analysis
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero’s strong quarter improves its value profile, but the stock’s rally leaves less upside to some analyst targets and increases sensitivity to future refining-margin normalization.
• Negative Sentiment: Management said tax-credit changes and registration hurdles have slowed biofuel imports, creating challenges for renewable-fuel compliance and potentially limiting near-term benefits in the company’s renewables business. Tax-credit overhaul slows biofuel imports

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.