Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Valeo Financial Advisors LLC

Valeo Financial Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 16.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,752 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 545 shares during the period. Valeo Financial Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $337,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% in the 4th quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 7,286 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $893,000 after purchasing an additional 508 shares during the last quarter. First Merchants Corp grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 5.7% in the 4th quarter. First Merchants Corp now owns 17,691 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $2,169,000 after purchasing an additional 950 shares during the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 13.4% in the 4th quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 11,529 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,413,000 after purchasing an additional 1,359 shares during the last quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 10.8% in the fourth quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,027 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $126,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, IMS Capital Management acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $266,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $135.49 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.89 billion, a PE ratio of 15.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $130.55 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $136.15. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $116.84 and a 12-month high of $184.79.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.34%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 53.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 11th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of 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 report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Profile

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.