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

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target boosted by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley from $182.00 to $222.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would indicate a potential downside of 5.80% from the stock’s current price.

Several other equities research analysts also recently weighed in on VLO. Raymond James Financial raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, April 2nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $230.65.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $235.66 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $70.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 30.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. 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 firm has a 50 day moving average of $228.55 and a 200 day moving average of $194.15. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $112.00 and a twelve month high of $258.43.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The shares were 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $28,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 157.0% during the 4th quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded VLO from “hold” to “strong-buy,” giving the stock a favorable analyst vote that can support further buying interest. Zacks Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts at Zacks and other outlets preview VLO’s upcoming earnings and flag that Valero has the key ingredients for a likely earnings beat (strong refining margins, stable throughput expectations), which tends to lift sentiment into the print. Earnings Preview
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces note VLO is a “trending” stock on investor platforms — increased attention can boost volume and volatility but is not a directional catalyst by itself. Trending Article
• Neutral Sentiment: Reminder: Valero is scheduled to report quarterly results shortly; timing and any guidance/comments on margins and throughput will likely be the primary near-term driver. Earnings Date Note
• Negative Sentiment: Morgan Stanley raised its price target to $222 but kept an “equal weight” rating — the $222 TP is below the current market level, implying downside versus today’s price and signaling limited upside from this shop. Morgan Stanley Note
• Negative Sentiment: Wolfe Research reiterated an “Underperform” rating, which could pressure sentiment among more cautious institutional holders and add selling pressure if the earnings print disappoints. Wolfe Research

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.