Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Valero Energy VLO.
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with VLO, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did?
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 11 uncommon options trades for Valero Energy.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 45% bullish and 54%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 9 are puts, for a total amount of $482,311, and 2 are calls, for a total amount of $60,020.
Predicted Price Range
After evaluating the trading volumes and Open Interest, it's evident that the major market movers are focusing on a price band between $165.0 and $180.0 for Valero Energy, spanning the last three months.
Volume & Open Interest Trends
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Valero Energy's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Valero Energy's whale trades within a strike price range from $165.0 to $180.0 in the last 30 days.
Valero Energy Call and Put Volume: 30-Day Overview
Significant Options Trades Detected:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VLO | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 05/17/24 | $3.1 | $3.05 | $3.1 | $165.00 | $94.5K | 4.1K | 904 |
| VLO | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 05/17/24 | $3.1 | $2.99 | $3.1 | $165.00 | $92.8K | 4.1K | 1.3K |
| VLO | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 05/17/24 | $2.83 | $2.82 | $2.82 | $165.00 | $80.9K | 4.1K | 6 |
| VLO | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 08/16/24 | $14.4 | $14.25 | $14.25 | $180.00 | $48.4K | 176 | 34 |
| VLO | PUT | SWEEP | BULLISH | 05/17/24 | $4.2 | $4.0 | $4.0 | $170.00 | $42.0K | 354 | 105 |
About Valero Energy
Valero Energy is one of the largest independent refiners in the United States. It operates 15 refineries with a total throughput capacity of 3.2 million barrels a day in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Valero also owns 12 ethanol plants with capacity of 1.6 billion gallons a year and holds a 50% stake in Diamond Green Diesel, which has capacity to produce 1.2 billion gallons per year of renewable diesel.
In light of the recent options history for Valero Energy, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
Valero Energy's Current Market Status
- With a volume of 829,980, the price of VLO is down -0.35% at $175.08.
- RSI indicators hint that the underlying stock may be approaching overbought.
- Next earnings are expected to be released in 14 days.
What The Experts Say On Valero Energy
5 market experts have recently issued ratings for this stock, with a consensus target price of $188.0.
- An analyst from JP Morgan has decided to maintain their Overweight rating on Valero Energy, which currently sits at a price target of $178.
- In a positive move, an analyst from B of A Securities has upgraded their rating to Buy and adjusted the price target to $210.
- Maintaining their stance, an analyst from Goldman Sachs continues to hold a Sell rating for Valero Energy, targeting a price of $171.
- An analyst from UBS persists with their Buy rating on Valero Energy, maintaining a target price of $197.
- An analyst from Wells Fargo has decided to maintain their Equal-Weight rating on Valero Energy, which currently sits at a price target of $184.
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Valero Energy, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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