Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Sets New 12-Month High – Time to Buy?

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) hit a new 52-week high on Monday . The stock traded as high as $274.92 and last traded at $267.4840, with a volume of 2112316 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $267.76.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their target price on Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research downgraded Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 12th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $247.59.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $81.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.75, a PEG ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 0.55. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $249.73 and its 200-day moving average price is $221.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 15.94% and a net margin of 3.37%.Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 28.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.8%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Whipplewood Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% during the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 134.0% in the 1st quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares during the period. Finally, Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $30,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Valero Energy

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.