BankPlus Wealth Management LLC Takes $361,000 Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

BankPlus Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 2,945 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $361,000.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 1.8% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,293,589 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $174,673,000 after purchasing an additional 22,571 shares during the last quarter. Kieckhefer Group LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $1,226,000. Hudson Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 6.5% in the fourth quarter. Hudson Capital Management LLC now owns 31,792 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $3,897,000 after acquiring an additional 1,937 shares during the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $274,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 89,762 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $12,121,000 after purchasing an additional 6,278 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Stock Down 2.6 %

Shares of VLO stock traded down $3.74 on Tuesday, hitting $137.57. The stock had a trading volume of 1,324,320 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,942,582. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $116.84 and a 12-month high of $184.79. The business has a 50 day moving average of $131.23 and a 200 day moving average of $137.78. The stock has a market cap of $43.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.33, 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 current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.29%. This is a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently commented on VLO shares. Bank of America began coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given 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, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $154.54.

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.