National Bank of Canada FI Has $11.74 Million Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

National Bank of Canada FI trimmed its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 36.3% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 96,075 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 54,819 shares during the quarter. National Bank of Canada FI’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $11,741,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Benjamin Edwards Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at about $1,886,000. Hilltop Holdings Inc. increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 8.5% during the third quarter. Hilltop Holdings Inc. now owns 2,179 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 171 shares during the period. IHT Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 6.3% during the third quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,699 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,043,000 after buying an additional 453 shares during the period. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.9% in the third quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 438,949 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $59,271,000 after buying an additional 4,088 shares during the period. Finally, Quarry LP bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at $77,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Down 8.4 %

Valero Energy stock opened at $104.64 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.96 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.36. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $131.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $132.97. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $102.60 and a 1-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.

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 return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.32%. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 53.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $152.67.

About Valero Energy

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.