Investors Research Corp Sells 200 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Investors Research Corp decreased its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,856 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 200 shares during the quarter. Investors Research Corp’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,281,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at $28,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $28,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Live Oak Investment Partners acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Finally, Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1,676.9% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 231 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently commented on VLO. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. Scotiabank increased their target price on Valero Energy from $138.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 22nd. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, April 8th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $177.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 1st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.40.

Valero Energy Stock Down 1.3 %

Shares of VLO traded down $2.28 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $171.26. 1,003,613 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,379,013. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.56. The company has a market cap of $56.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.54. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $155.96 and its 200-day moving average is $138.39. Valero Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $104.18 and a fifty-two week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.95 by $0.60. The company had revenue of $35.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $34.76 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 31.62%. The firm’s revenue was down 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $8.45 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 17.25 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 1st were given a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 31st. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.02. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.50%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 17.31%.

Valero Energy Company 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.