Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Acquired by Stiles Financial Services Inc

Stiles Financial Services Inc grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 20.7% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 15,520 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 2,664 shares during the period. Stiles Financial Services Inc’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,903,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $28,000. Tobam bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 196.8% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.9 %

NYSE VLO opened at $133.05 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $130.66 and a 200-day moving average of $137.13. The company has a market cap of $42.12 billion, a PE ratio of 15.69, a PEG ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $116.84 and a 12 month high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.40%. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VLO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Piper Sandler raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $154.46.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, Mexico, Peru, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol.