Sun Sep 15 16:49:14 UTC 2024: ## Valero Energy (VLO) Sees Increased Interest from Hedge Funds

**New York, NY** – Valero Energy Co. (NYSE: VLO) has attracted the attention of several hedge funds in recent months, with many increasing their stake in the oil and gas company.

1ST Source Bank, for instance, raised its stake in VLO by a significant 55.6% in the second quarter, bringing its total holdings to 4,151 shares valued at $651,000. This trend was echoed by other prominent funds such as Norges Bank, Acadian Asset Management LLC, Bank of Nova Scotia, and Ninety One UK Ltd, all of whom significantly increased their positions in VLO during various quarters.

This heightened interest from institutional investors comes amidst a mixed bag of analyst sentiment. While some, like Wells Fargo & Company and Mizuho, have increased their target price and rating for VLO, others such as Barclays and StockNews.com have lowered their price objectives and/or ratings. Overall, VLO currently holds a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating with an average target price of $174.50.

Despite the varied analyst opinions, VLO continues to perform well. The company exceeded analysts’ expectations in its recent earnings report, reporting $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating estimates by $0.11. Valero Energy also recently declared a quarterly dividend of $1.07 per share, representing a yield of 3.19%.

The company’s strong financial performance and consistent dividend payments appear to have contributed to the increased interest from hedge funds. It remains to be seen if this trend will continue and what impact it will have on VLO’s stock price in the future.

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