Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Stock Holdings Lessened by Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.

Roman Butler Fullerton & Co. reduced its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 5.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 8,484 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 488 shares during the quarter. Roman Butler Fullerton & Co.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,040,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Tobam acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 196.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in 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 3.4 %

VLO stock opened at $135.49 on Friday. 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 Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The company has a 50-day moving average of $130.47 and a two-hundred day moving average of $136.67. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.86 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.34%. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 53.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have issued reports on VLO. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. 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. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Mizuho dropped their price target 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. Finally, Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus 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.