Barclays Cuts Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target to $165.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target cut by Barclays from $171.00 to $165.00 in a research note published on Tuesday morning, Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

VLO has been the topic of several other research reports. TD Cowen cut their price target on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 29th. Argus lowered Valero Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, May 16th. UBS Group upped their price target on Valero Energy from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. Mizuho dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $176.00 to $171.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Thursday, June 20th. Finally, Scotiabank upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $138.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a sector outperform rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $171.07.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $146.67 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a current ratio of 1.59. The firm has a market cap of $47.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.26, a P/E/G ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 1.42. The business’s fifty day moving average is $155.31 and its two-hundred day moving average is $151.52. Valero Energy has a 52 week low of $112.67 and a 52 week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.64. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 24.82% and a net margin of 5.01%. The business had revenue of $31.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $32.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.27 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 12.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy will post 15.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 30th were issued a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 30th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.92%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.20%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Kimberly S. Greene sold 720 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.12, for a total transaction of $113,846.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 13,314 shares in the company, valued at $2,105,209.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.47% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VLO. BKM Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $26,000. Lynx Investment Advisory acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Rise Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.