Rakuten Investment Management Inc. Buys Shares of 48,682 Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Rakuten Investment Management Inc. bought a new position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm bought 48,682 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,965,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VLO. Woodline Partners LP raised its stake in Valero Energy by 40.7% during the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 26,747 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,532,000 after purchasing an additional 7,735 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 13.0% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,929 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 222 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $528,000. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 11.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 269,043 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $36,165,000 after buying an additional 27,291 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the second quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 145,810 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $19,600,000 after acquiring an additional 1,338 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Tight refining market supports margins: Historically low fuel inventories, limited excess refining capacity and ongoing supply disruptions are creating a favorable environment for higher crack spreads. Valero’s flexible, complex coastal refinery network is well positioned to process various crude grades and supply multiple fuel markets. Valero Energy Looks Well Placed in the Tight Global Refining Market
• Positive Sentiment: Strong second-quarter performance and estimates: Valero’s second-quarter 2026 results reportedly showed substantial year-over-year improvement in adjusted EPS and revenue. Rising consensus estimates and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) indicate that analysts are becoming more constructive on the company’s earnings prospects. Did Strong Q2 2026 Earnings and Refining Tailwinds Just Shift Valero Energy’s Investment Narrative?
• Positive Sentiment: Relative market strength and favorable valuation: VLO recently gained while the broader market declined. Its low PEG ratio compared with industry peers may be adding to the stock’s appeal, particularly as refining profitability expectations improve. Valero Energy Gains as Market Dips
• Negative Sentiment: One analyst downgrade: Erste Group Bank AG lowered Valero from “buy” to “hold,” which could limit upside sentiment after the stock’s strong advance and near-record trading levels. Finviz Valero Analyst Update

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.8%

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $352.66 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The business’s 50 day moving average is $303.55 and its two-hundred day moving average is $259.07. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $150.10 and a 52-week high of $353.00. The firm has a market cap of $101.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.63, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55.

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

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be paid 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 1.4%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 19.92%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction dated 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 $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.36% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on VLO shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $329.00 price target on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Erste Group Bank cut shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $288.00.

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.