Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Scotiabank Analyst Says

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its target price increased by stock analysts at Scotiabank from $178.00 to $226.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a “sector outperform” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Scotiabank’s price objective indicates a potential downside of 3.35% from the stock’s previous close.

VLO has been the topic of several other reports. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday, April 4th. Citigroup upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. UBS Group upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $228.18.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $233.82 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Valero Energy has a 52-week low of $110.00 and a 52-week high of $258.43. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $227.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $193.43. The company has a market capitalization of $69.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.61, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.27 by $0.55. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.35% and a net margin of 1.91%.The business had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.64 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy will post 19.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. This 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 the SEC website. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 8.7% in the first quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,142 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $529,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the last quarter. Granite Harbor Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $292,000. Mayflower Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $299,000. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $214,000. Finally, Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 4.4% in the first quarter. Drucker Wealth 3.0 LLC now owns 2,084 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $515,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded VLO from “hold” to “strong-buy”, a near-term catalyst that can attract momentum buyers and support the share price. Zacks.com
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks previews predict Valero has the setup for an earnings beat next week, citing the right mix of consensus trends and company drivers — this raises the odds of an upside surprise at the report. Valero Energy (VLO) Earnings Expected to Grow
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks has added VLO to momentum/strong-buy lists, signaling institutional and retail interest that may boost demand into earnings. Best Momentum Stocks to Buy for April 22nd
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note VLO is a “trending” stock among retail users — increased attention can amplify moves but is not a directional fundamental driver by itself. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock
• Positive Sentiment: Scotiabank raised its price target from $178 to $226 and moved to “sector outperform” — a material raise in analyst conviction even though the new target sits near current levels. Scotiabank raises target
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an “Underperform” rating, which could cap upside or pressure sentiment among more cautious investors ahead of the print. Wolfe Research Reiterates Underperform

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.