AE Wealth Management LLC Sells 17,485 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

AE Wealth Management LLC trimmed its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 10.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 143,581 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 17,485 shares during the quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $24,447,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. DSG Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.6% during the third quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,803 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $647,000 after buying an additional 60 shares during the last quarter. Private Trust Co. NA increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 3,381 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $576,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the last quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% during the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC now owns 476 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 69 shares during the period. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 11,467 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,952,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have issued reports on VLO shares. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (up previously from $181.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Zacks Research cut Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on Valero Energy from $181.00 to $194.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 10th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $192.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, January 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $183.33.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE:VLO opened at $182.28 on Friday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $99.00 and a 52 week high of $194.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.60. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $175.08 and its 200 day simple moving average is $163.39. The firm has a market cap of $55.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.77.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.10 by $0.72. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.21% and a return on equity of 8.69%. The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 9th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 5th will be paid a dividend of $1.20 per share. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.6%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 94.36%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total transaction of $1,728,540.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 134,196 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,352,787.92. This represents a 6.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.04% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valero Energy News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings and revenue beat expectations — Valero reported adjusted EPS of $3.82 and revenue of $30.37 billion, beating consensus and showing a sharp improvement versus a year earlier; management reported higher refining margins drove the profit upswing. Valero Energy Reports 2025 Fourth Quarter and Full-Year Results
• Positive Sentiment: Refining-margin strength lifted results — Multiple reports and the company call highlighted higher refining margins and increased ethanol volumes as the main profit drivers for Q4. This supports near-term earnings visibility for the refining business. Higher Refining Margins Push Valero’s Q4 Profit above Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage lift — Morgan Stanley raised its price target on VLO to $180, reflecting improved earnings momentum and valuation recalibration after the Q4 print. Analyst upgrades can support the share price. Morgan Stanley Increases Valero Energy Price Target to $180.00
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: some outlets noted shares rose on the earnings beat — initial trading saw positive moves as investors digested the stronger-than-expected results and margin commentary. Valero Energy shares rise as refining strength drives earnings beat
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings-call detail and outlook — The Q4 call/transcript reviewed operations, volumes and margin drivers; management discussed segment trends but offered limited long-term guidance beyond current margin environment. Read the call highlights/transcript for nuances on capex, turnaround timing and margin outlook. Valero Energy Corp (VLO) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro context — broader economic data (unit labor costs, jobless claims and market futures) are influencing energy demand expectations; keep an eye on macro releases that could shift refining margins. Unit Labor Costs Remain Negative
• Negative Sentiment: Planned purchases of Venezuelan crude raise geopolitical/reputational risk — Valero said it will buy barrels from three authorized Venezuelan sellers; while legal, the move adds potential regulatory and PR uncertainty that some investors may view negatively. Valero will buy Venezuelan crude from three sellers
• Negative Sentiment: Mix in margin profile — while refining margins were strong, renewable-diesel margins were reported weaker; that product mix dynamic could pressure segment profitability if it persists. Valero Energy Q4 Earnings Beat Estimates on Higher Refining Margins

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.