Should I buy Valero Energy (VLO) stock or is it too late?

Valero Energy · Energy · price $347

See the full Valero Energy (VLO) profile

⭐ What the most reliable analysts say · those who beat their sector, targets replayed on real prices

⭐ The most reliable of them, either direction: Goldman Sachs — 68% of its targets hit on this sector (128 calls tested). It aims for $357 (+3.0 %), call made on July 23, 2026, maturing on July 23, 2027 (36 d ago).

The 8 reliable analysts $332-4.3 %

The 6 other firms $267-23 %

How to read it: the 8 reliable firms are not filtered by optimism — 3 aim above the price, 5 below, hence their $332 median. “The 6 others” are the firms that don't pass our reliability filter on this sector.

Firm-by-firm track record on Valero Energy

Here the hit rate is measured <b>on this stock specifically</b> (matured targets replayed against real prices, minimum 5 calls tested) — the green block above measures reliability <b>across the whole sector</b>, which is the criterion behind JPI selections. “Aims for” = the firm's most recent target on this stock; “—” means it hasn't published one recently.

Firm	% right	Gain vs sector	Calls	Aims for
UBS	88 %	+54.4 %	8	$355 +2%
Jefferies	100 %	+42.1 %	6	$194 -44%
RBC Capital	92 %	+35.8 %	24	$151 -56%
Raymond James	84 %	+34.1 %	37	$340 -2%
Piper Sandler	74 %	+32.5 %	31	$263 -24%
Wells Fargo	81 %	+27.8 %	26	$356 +3%
Mizuho	86 %	+27.0 %	14	$300 -13%
Scotiabank	83 %	+23.5 %	6	$226 -35%

In short — Should you invest in Valero Energy? Is it too late, still worth it? Analysts are fairly positive (57% buy, median target $301, i.e. -13%). But the stock is volatile. We give you both sides, with the numbers — not advice.

✅ Reasons to believe

Pays a dividend (1.7% yield) — regular income on top of potential upside.
Reasonable valuation (P/E ~15) relative to its sector.

⚠️ Reasons to hesitate

Even the most reliable firm on VLO, Jefferies (100% hit rate, 6 scored calls), only targets $194 (call made on October 10, 2025, maturing on October 10, 2026) (-44%) in its most recent call. The stock may already have run past its target.
The consensus is not unanimous: of 14 ratings, 5 are neutral and 1 is a sell.
Limited upside: the median target is only -13% from the current price.
A 12-month target is not a guaranteed path: the price can fall in the meantime.
Volatile stock: sharp swings — including steep drops — are part of its profile.

The analyst consensus on VLO

Median target $301 (-13%) · 14 ratings · Buy consensus

Strong Buy17%

Buy750%

Hold536%

Sell17%

Strong Sell00%

⚠️ Information, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Analyst targets on a ~12-month horizon.

Frequently asked questions

Should you invest in Valero Energy now?

We won't decide for you. The facts: 57% of analysts rate it a buy, median target $301 (-13%), and Jefferies (most reliable on VLO, 100%) targets $194. Weigh that against valuation (P/E ~15) and volatility. This is not personalized advice.

Is it too late to invest in Valero Energy?

The stated upside is small: the median target ($301) sits just -13% from the price ($347) (most reliable on VLO: Jefferies, 100%). The real question isn't "too late" but the price-to-value gap and risk. Not advice.

Is Valero Energy still worth investing in?

It depends on the gap between the price ($347) and its estimated value: analysts target $301 on median (-13%), with 57% buys (most reliable on VLO: Jefferies, 100%). Cross-check with their real reliability on VLO and the cautions above. Information, not advice.

What's the main risk in buying VLO?

Even the most reliable firm on VLO, Jefferies (100% hit rate, 6 scored calls), only targets $194 (call made on October 10, 2025, maturing on October 10, 2026) (-44%) in its most recent call. The stock may already have run past its target.

→ Go deeper: the full Valero Energy profile (consensus, analyst reliability, price target, performance).