Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Given New $270.00 Price Target at BMO Capital Markets

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price objective hoisted by BMO Capital Markets from $230.00 to $270.00 in a research report released on Monday,Benzinga reports. BMO Capital Markets currently has an outperform rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

Other research analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. Argus raised Valero Energy to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Bank of America reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $195.00 price target (down from $198.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Zacks Research cut Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Saturday. Finally, Scotiabank raised Valero Energy to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, March 27th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $214.50.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $245.35 on Monday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $216.42 and a 200 day moving average price of $187.60. Valero Energy has a 52 week low of $99.00 and a 52 week high of $258.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.64. The stock has a market capitalization of $73.37 billion, a PE ratio of 32.11, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.61 and a beta of 0.62.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 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 firm had revenue of $30.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.20 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed 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 is a positive change 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%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 62.83%.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.04% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VLO. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 5.5% during the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 975 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $159,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 32.9% during the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,610 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,564,000 after purchasing an additional 52 shares during the period. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.4% during the fourth quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC now owns 3,788 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $617,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. Finally, Prospera Financial Services Inc increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 16,268 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,651,000 after purchasing an additional 53 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

More Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks upgraded VLO to a Rank #2 (Buy), citing improving earnings prospects that could support near-term upside. Valero Energy (VLO) Upgraded to Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes solid earnings-estimate revisions for VLO, suggesting analysts are raising future EPS forecasts — a common catalyst for share gains. Why Valero Energy (VLO) Might be Well Poised for a Surge
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks highlights VLO’s strong style scores and long-term growth attributes, supporting buy-and-hold interest from growth-focused investors. Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Top Growth Stock for the Long-Term
• Positive Sentiment: Financial sites (Yahoo/MSN) are highlighting the upgrade momentum and framing VLO as a long-term growth/refining play, which can attract retail and momentum buyers. Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a top growth stock for the long term
• Positive Sentiment: BMO Capital Markets raised its price target on VLO from $230 to $270 and moved to an Outperform rating — an explicit bullish signal that boosts upside expectations. BMO Capital Markets raises PT to $270
• Neutral Sentiment: The Motley Fool notes Goldman Sachs lifted its price target on Valero but asks whether that alone makes VLO a buy, offering a more cautious view on valuation and cycle risk. Is Valero Energy One of the Best Oil Stocks to Buy Right Now?

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.