Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV

Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV cut its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 30.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,989 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,107 shares during the quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $857,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Trading Up 3.4 %

NYSE VLO opened at $135.49 on Monday. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $116.84 and a 12 month high of $184.79. The company has a 50-day moving average of $130.55 and a 200-day moving average of $136.33. 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 has a market cap of $42.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.98, a P/E/G ratio of 2.85 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. As a group, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 53.30%.

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.