Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Given New $261.00 Price Target at Barclays

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its target price boosted by Barclays from $184.00 to $261.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Citigroup lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $212.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, February 9th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $222.00.

Valero Energy Stock Down 4.7%

VLO stock opened at $239.79 on Wednesday. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $101.66 and a twelve month high of $258.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market cap of $71.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 31.39, a PEG ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.62. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $218.89 and its 200-day moving average price is $188.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.20 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a $1.20 dividend. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 5th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 62.83%.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth about $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2,635.7% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $154,736,000 after buying an additional 915,782 shares in the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 49.3% in the fourth quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $276,224,000 after buying an additional 560,116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. lifted its position 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 worth $922,728,000 after buying an additional 394,693 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barclays raised its price target on VLO to $261 and kept an “overweight” rating, signaling confidence in Valero’s outlook. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler bumped its target to $263 and maintained an “overweight” view, another institutional vote of confidence. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reiterated its “buy” rating on Valero, and BMO coverage also signaled expected upside—supporting the case for further appreciation if operational issues are resolved. Article Title Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary notes VLO has delivered strong year-to-date and multi-year returns, which may temper investor sentiment about valuation even as fundamentals remain in focus. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Reuters reports the March 23 Port Arthur explosion destroyed a diesel hydrotreater and the control room for multiple hydrotreating units — a significant operational hit for Valero’s 380,000 bpd refinery that could constrain output, raise repair costs and pressure margins. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A lawsuit alleges gross negligence tied to the Port Arthur incident, introducing legal exposure and regulatory scrutiny that increase uncertainty about potential liabilities and remediation timelines. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage noting the stock fell amid a market uptick underscores that the operational/legal news is outweighing analyst upgrades in near-term trading. Article Title

Valero Energy Company 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.