Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Lake Street Advisors Group LLC

Lake Street Advisors Group LLC trimmed its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.9% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 2,651 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 78 shares during the period. Lake Street Advisors Group LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $325,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Tobam purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings 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 valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $154.46.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

Valero Energy stock opened at $129.65 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $131.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.37. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $116.84 and a 52 week high of $184.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.04 billion, a PE ratio of 15.29, a PEG ratio of 2.93 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 (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.49%. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 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.