United Services Automobile Association Cuts Stock Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

United Services Automobile Association decreased its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 24.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 129,685 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 42,110 shares during the period. United Services Automobile Association’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $17,511,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at $31,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Triad Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America started coverage on Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Barclays dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Valero Energy Stock Down 1.2 %

NYSE:VLO opened at $131.50 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. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $137.07 and its 200-day moving average price is $144.70. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $120.21 and a 1-year high of $184.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.79, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 1.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.49 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.89 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.25%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 38.39%.

Valero Energy 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.