2,945 Shares in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Acquired by BankPlus Wealth Management LLC

BankPlus Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 2,945 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $361,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,287,269 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,389,090,000 after purchasing an additional 50,837 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 5.6% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,687,585 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $639,268,000 after buying an additional 247,630 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,072,188 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $499,210,000 after buying an additional 487,022 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 4,908.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,850,526 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $384,907,000 after acquiring an additional 2,793,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 6.3% in the third quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 2,533,434 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $342,090,000 after acquiring an additional 151,200 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Citigroup cut their price target on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.54.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $141.40 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $44.77 billion, a PE ratio of 12.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $131.28 and a 200 day simple moving average of $137.82.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.20%. Valero Energy’s dividend 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.