KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Trims Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS trimmed its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 6.8% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 214,261 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 15,700 shares during the quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $34,880,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 70.2% in the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Triumph Capital Management purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Finally, Accordant Advisory Group Inc grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 194.4% during the 4th quarter. Accordant Advisory Group Inc now owns 212 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $35,000 after buying an additional 140 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks added VLO to its Rank #1 (Strong Buy) / momentum lists this morning, a visible retail- and quant-focused endorsement that can attract short‑term buying and ETF/overlay flows. New Strong Buy Stocks for April 22nd
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators are flagging sustained upside from refinery margins, diesel strength and Valero’s capital returns — Seeking Alpha highlights potential windfall profits, large EBITDA scenarios and a buyback/dividend-driven 14% capital return case that supports higher long-term valuation. Valero: Windfall Profits Lead To 14% Capital Returns
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/refining tailwind — diesel prices have jumped and outlets note Valero as a beneficiary of the spike and of its push into renewable fuels, which supports near‑term earnings and sentiment. Diesel Is Up 50% in Weeks. Here Are 2 Stocks Quietly Benefiting From the Spike.
• Neutral Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its Valero price target sharply (from $178 to $226) and upgraded to “sector outperform” — a positive signal — but the PT still sits slightly below the current share price, making the net impact mixed for immediate upside. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Broad sector/peer headlines (BP earnings preview, offshore rig revenue notes like Nabors) are worth watching because refining margins and oil prices drive Valero’s earnings sensitivity, but these are indirect and won’t necessarily move VLO alone. Important Factors to Watch Ahead of BP’s Q1 Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an “underperform” view and a $203 price target (well below the current level), and related analyst commentary flagged that Valero may be priced for peak margins and unsustainable cash flows — this can pressure sentiment and trigger profit-taking or a re-rating if investors follow the call. Valero: Priced for Peak Margins and Unsustainable Cash Flows, Warranting a Sell Rating

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total value of $1,892,331.59. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. This trade represents a 16.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.4%

VLO stock opened at $234.30 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $227.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $193.15. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $110.00 and a fifty-two week high of $258.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.64. The firm has a market cap of $70.06 billion, a PE ratio of 30.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 19.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Zacks Research lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 15th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $228.18.

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.