Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC Boosts Stock Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 9.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,979 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 173 shares during the quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $243,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth $38,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 122.0% in the 4th quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $122.97 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $120.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $128.42. 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 market capitalization of $38.51 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.50, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $99.00 and a 12-month high of $167.78.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.27). The business had revenue of $28.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.82 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.68%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 159.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VLO. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valero Energy from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and increased their price target for the stock from $115.00 to $127.00 in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Scotiabank lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.53.

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.