Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target upped by investment analysts at Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $180.00 in a research report issued on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “equal weight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price target would suggest a potential downside of 1.46% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other research firms have also commented on VLO. Zacks Research lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 20th. UBS Group reiterated a “buy” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $181.00 to $194.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, October 10th. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their target price on Valero Energy from $223.00 to $217.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and nine have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $183.33.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.3%

VLO traded down $0.61 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $182.68. The company had a trading volume of 1,259,162 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,911,608. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $174.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $162.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.60. The company has a market cap of $55.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 38.13, a PEG ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.77. Valero Energy has a 12-month low of $99.00 and a 12-month high of $194.35.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valero Energy news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total value of $1,728,540.66. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 134,196 shares in the company, valued at $23,352,787.92. This represents a 6.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the period. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Cypress Capital Management LLC WY acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, Triumph Capital Management bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.