Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Receives $187.67 Average Target Price from Brokerages

Shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, nine have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $187.6667.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VLO. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (down from $198.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $216.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, November 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $197.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Mizuho reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $192.00 price target (up from $190.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Erste Group Bank began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Monday, November 10th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock.

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.7%

VLO stock opened at $200.73 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $182.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $169.84. Valero Energy has a 12 month low of $99.00 and a 12 month high of $206.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.23 billion, a PE ratio of 26.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.05 and a beta of 0.77.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 12.34% and a net margin of 1.91%.Valero Energy’s revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.64 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 9th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 5th will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 5th. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 62.83%.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Highline Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% in the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. AXS Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1,277.8% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 248 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.