Shepherd Financial Partners LLC Boosts Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Shepherd Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 28,666 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 672 shares during the quarter. Shepherd Financial Partners LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $3,514,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 196.8% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $133.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $42.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.69, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.85 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 1 year low of $116.84 and a 1 year high of $184.79. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $130.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.31.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a boost 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 dividend yield of 3.40%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. 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 research note on Tuesday. Mizuho decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Barclays dropped their price objective 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, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $154.46.

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.