Valero Energy Climbs to 377th in Trading Volume as Institutional Investors and Analysts Diverge

Valero Energy (VLO) closed with a 0.01% gain on August 18, trading at $136.73 with a daily volume of $250 million, ranking 377th in market activity. Institutional investors remained active, with Oder Investment Management acquiring 2,353 shares valued at $311,000 in Q1. Meanwhile, United Capital Management and American Century Companies increased holdings by 5.6% and 170.7%, respectively, reflecting confidence in the refiner’s long-term strategy.

Analyst sentiment remained mixed, with Barclays and Wells Fargo upgrading price targets to $141 and $168, respectively, while Wolfe Research downgraded to "peer perform." The stock’s 52-week range of $99.00–$155.12 and a 3.3% dividend yield attracted income-focused investors, despite a payout ratio of 188.33%. Earnings for Q2 showed $2.28 per share, exceeding estimates, though revenue dropped 13.3% year-on-year to $29.89 billion.

Recent filings revealed Prudential PLC reducing its stake by 54.7% in Q1, contrasting with broader institutional ownership of 78.69%. The company’s balance sheet remains robust, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 1.62. Analysts project 2025 EPS of $7.92, aligning with a market cap of $42.48 billion and a P/E ratio of 56.97.

A backtest of a strategy buying the top 500 volume stocks and holding for one day from 2022 to 2025 yielded a 0.98% average daily return, totaling 31.52% over 365 days. This highlights short-term momentum potential but underscores volatility risks inherent in timing-based approaches.