Valero Energy Shares Climb 1.87% on 37.4% Volume Surge, Ranking 357th in Market Activity as Institutional Buying and Selling Diverge

Valero Energy (VLO) rose 1.87% on August 20, with a trading volume of $290 million, reflecting a 37.4% increase from the previous day and ranking 357th in market activity. Institutional activity highlighted mixed positioning, as Aberdeen Group reduced its stake by 65.4% in Q1, while Raymond James Financial Inc. increased holdings by 2.8%. Other firms including Hazlett Burt & Watson and Hemington Wealth Management also adjusted positions, collectively owning 78.69% of shares held by institutional investors.

Analyst sentiment showed divergent views, with Barclays raising its price target to $141 and maintaining an "overweight" rating, while TD Cowen downgraded to "hold." Valero reported Q2 earnings of $2.28 per share, exceeding estimates by $0.62, though revenue fell 13.3% year-over-year to $29.89 billion. The company announced a $1.13 quarterly dividend, yielding 3.3% annually, despite a payout ratio of 188.33%, signaling aggressive distribution policies.

Market dynamics reflected broader sector trends, with 10 analysts assigning a "buy" rating and two a "strong buy," against five "hold" ratings. The stock’s 50-day moving average of $139.81 and 200-day average of $130.74 positioned it within a volatile range between $99.00 and $155.12 over the past year. Institutional buying activity, including Kestra Private Wealth Services and Sendero Wealth Management, underscored continued interest in the energy refiner’s strategic positioning.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day from 2022 to the present yielded a total profit of $10,720, with a cumulative return of 1.08 times the initial investment. This approach leveraged liquidity and momentum-driven trading activity in high-volume equities.