Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Stake Lessened by Commonwealth Financial Services LLC

Commonwealth Financial Services LLC decreased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 3.1% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,342 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 75 shares during the quarter. Commonwealth Financial Services LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $287,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in Valero Energy by 196.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Up 2.4 %

Valero Energy stock opened at $136.22 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $43.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.42. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $130.83 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $137.43. Valero Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $116.84 and a fifty-two week high of $184.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. As a group, analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.32%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Mizuho cut their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Scotiabank reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $154.46.

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.