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Why Valero Energy (VLO) Stock Is Down Today

Investivoq PriceTracker

Valero Energy (VLO) is down 3.2% today. Here is some analysis on what might have caused this price movement.

Analysis: There does not appear to be a fresh company-specific negative announcement from Valero today, so the move looks most likely tied to profit-taking and a valuation reset after a steep rally. This could be because investors are trimming exposure ahead of next week’s earnings report, especially after the stock recently touched a new 52-week high and some analysts had already turned more cautious on refining stocks.

Details:

  • Valero shares had climbed to a new 52-week high earlier this week, which can set up a pullback as traders lock in gains after a strong run.
  • Valero is expected to report quarterly results on October 22, 2026, and stocks that have rallied sharply often see more volatile trading in the days leading into earnings.
  • A recent analyst downgrade shifted the stock to a more neutral stance, with the main concern centered on valuation and whether refining margins can stay elevated enough to justify further upside.
  • Valero’s last quarterly update was very strong, with sharply higher earnings and continued cash returns to stockholders, so today’s decline looks more like sentiment and positioning than a reversal caused by a new operational setback.

    • Sources:

    SEC, Zacks, Benzinga, MarketBeat

    Disclaimer: This price movement analysis was generated with the help of AI. Please double-check the information provided for mistakes.

    $VLO Insider Trading Activity

    VLO Insider Trades

    $VLO insiders have traded $VLO stock on the open market 3 times in the past 6 months. Of those trades, 0 have been purchases and 3 have been sales.

    Here’s a breakdown of recent trading of $VLO stock by insiders over the last 6 months:

    • ERIC A FISHER (SVP) has made 0 purchases and 3 sales selling 22,500 shares for an estimated $5,675,152.

    To track insider transactions, check out Investivoq's insider trading dashboard. You can access data on insider stock transactions through the Investivoq API insider transaction endpoint.

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    $VLO Hedge Fund Activity

    We have seen 914 institutional investors add shares of $VLO stock to their portfolio, and 822 decrease their positions in their most recent quarter.

    Here are some of the largest recent moves:

    • PRICE T ROWE ASSOCIATES INC /MD/ removed 4,209,220 shares (-51.8%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $1,096,249,256
    • SIXTH STREET PARTNERS MANAGEMENT COMPANY, L.P. added 2,748,653 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $715,859,187
    • JPMORGAN CHASE & CO added 2,199,990 shares (+inf%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $572,965,395
    • AQR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC added 1,330,979 shares (+193.1%) to their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $346,640,170
    • AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL INC removed 1,314,818 shares (-20.1%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $342,431,199
    • VICTORY CAPITAL MANAGEMENT INC removed 1,086,570 shares (-64.0%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $282,986,290
    • GEODE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC removed 1,019,200 shares (-12.3%) from their portfolio in Q2 2026, for an estimated $265,440,448

    To track hedge funds' stock portfolios, check out Investivoq's institutional holdings dashboard. You can access data on hedge funds moves and 13F filings through the Investivoq API 13F endpoint.

    $VLO Price Targets

    Multiple analysts have issued price targets for $VLO recently. We have seen 7 analysts offer price targets for $VLO in the last 6 months, with a median target of $259.0.

    Here are some recent targets:

    • Theresa Chen from Barclays set a target price of $279.0 on 07/01/2026
    • Jason Gabelman from TD Cowen set a target price of $292.0 on 06/29/2026
    • Joe Laetsch from Morgan Stanley set a target price of $255.0 on 06/12/2026
    • Nitin Kumar from Mizuho set a target price of $289.0 on 05/27/2026
    • Vikram Bagri from Citigroup set a target price of $259.0 on 05/01/2026
    • Betty Zhang from Scotiabank set a target price of $226.0 on 04/22/2026
    • Doug Leggate from Wolfe Research set a target price of $203.0 on 04/21/2026

    This article is not financial advice. See Investivoq's disclaimers for more information. Note that there may be inaccuracies due to mistakes in ticker-mapping, and other anomalies.