Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Stock Position Reduced by Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.

Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. trimmed its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 18.7% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 2,059,010 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 474,424 shares during the period. Valero Energy makes up approximately 3.1% of Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $252,414,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VLO. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,287,269 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,389,090,000 after buying an additional 50,837 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,687,585 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $639,268,000 after acquiring an additional 247,630 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. lifted its position in Valero Energy by 13.6% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,072,188 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $499,210,000 after purchasing an additional 487,022 shares during the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 4,908.0% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,850,526 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $384,907,000 after purchasing an additional 2,793,607 shares during the period. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 6.9% during the third quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,527,895 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $341,342,000 after buying an additional 163,505 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Trading Down 2.2 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $138.14 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.73 billion, a PE ratio of 12.39, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a one year low of $116.84 and a one year high of $184.79. 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 business has a 50-day moving average price of $131.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $137.71.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on VLO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $154.54.

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.