Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Reduces Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lessened its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 122,901 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 5,387 shares during the quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $16,595,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, First Foundation Advisors bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $132.06 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.31 billion, a PE ratio of 11.84, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.39. 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 1-year low of $119.88 and a 1-year high of $184.79. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $136.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $147.83.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.49 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.32 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.24%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 38.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VLO. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price objective for the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $156.29.

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.