Valero Energy FY2026 EPS Estimate Lifted by Erste Group Bank

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) – Investment analysts at Erste Group Bank raised their FY2026 earnings estimates for shares of Valero Energy in a report released on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now anticipates that the oil and gas company will earn $14.41 per share for the year, up from their prior forecast of $12.75. The consensus estimate for Valero Energy’s current full-year earnings is $7.92 per share.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, topping 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 business had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday. Piper Sandler increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $217.00 to $220.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, January 30th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $192.00 price objective (up from $190.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $199.53.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $254.58 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $209.25 and a 200-day moving average of $183.67. The firm has a market cap of $76.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.32, a P/E/G ratio of 0.62 and a beta of 0.70. Valero Energy has a 1-year low of $99.00 and a 1-year high of $255.97.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 62.83%.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 in the company, valued at $9,618,080.98. This trade represents a 16.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at $27,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 157.0% in the fourth quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Crack spreads and an upgrade boosted profit expectations for refiners — analysts and investors are lifting VLO on improving refining margins, a key driver of near‑term cash flow. Valero Energy Shares Follow Crack Spreads Higher (Rating Upgrade)
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst bullishness increased: Raymond James raised its price target to $290 and Scotiabank reaffirmed a buy — both add upside narrative and institutional support. Raymond James Financial Raises Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target to $290.00 Scotiabank Reaffirms Their Buy Rating on Valero Energy (VLO)
• Positive Sentiment: Erste Group raised FY2026 and FY2027 EPS forecasts materially, signaling expectations for much higher earnings than consensus — this lifts forward valuation metrics for VLO. (Research note cited by market coverage.)
• Positive Sentiment: Operational recovery: Valero has begun restarting its 380k bpd Port Arthur refinery after the recent explosion, which reduces near‑term production disruption risk and supports revenue recovery. Valero begins restart of Port Arthur, Texas refinery, sources say
• Positive Sentiment: Sector tailwinds: Energy stocks and oil prices have rallied on Middle East tensions, lifting refiners’ top lines and supporting VLO’s momentum. Wall Street follows global markets lower with missiles fired at Israel and confusion on peace talks
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro headwinds: rising global bond yields and growing odds of further Fed tightening are increasing equity volatility and could cap multiple expansion for cyclical names like VLO. US Stock Market Today S&P 500 Futures Steady As Rate Hike Worries Build
• Negative Sentiment: Legal & safety overhang: a worker sued Valero over injuries from the Port Arthur explosion seeking damages; while the suit appears limited in dollar size vs. market cap, it raises operational/safety scrutiny and potential legal costs. Valero has responded publicly. Worker sues Valero over Texas refinery explosion

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.