WP Advisors LLC Sells 1,029 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

WP Advisors LLC decreased its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.7% during the second quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 36,455 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 1,029 shares during the period. Valero Energy comprises about 1.8% of WP Advisors LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest position. WP Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $5,715,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Collective Family Office LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1.5% during the 1st quarter. Collective Family Office LLC now owns 4,040 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $690,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,327 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $227,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Covenant Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Covenant Asset Management LLC now owns 14,659 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,502,000 after purchasing an additional 64 shares during the last quarter. Aua Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Aua Capital Management LLC now owns 2,261 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $386,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Finally, OmniStar Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. OmniStar Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,543 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $712,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on VLO shares. Argus lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price target on the stock. Piper Sandler cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $187.00 to $169.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, June 14th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $174.00.

Valero Energy Stock Up 3.5 %

NYSE VLO traded up $4.92 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $146.73. 3,359,564 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,981,542. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $119.88 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The firm has a market cap of $47.98 billion, a PE ratio of 7.27, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.42. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $150.21 and a 200 day simple moving average of $155.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.11. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The company had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $32.97 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $5.40 EPS. Valero Energy’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st will be given a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, August 1st. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.92%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 21.20%.

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.