Exchange Traded Concepts LLC Grows Stock Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Exchange Traded Concepts LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 175.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,446 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 7,934 shares during the quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,526,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. CX Institutional grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 8.9% during the 4th quarter. CX Institutional now owns 8,628 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,058,000 after purchasing an additional 702 shares during the last quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 6.9% during the fourth quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 94,892 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $11,633,000 after buying an additional 6,095 shares during the last quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 57.0% during the 4th quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH now owns 50,214 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $6,005,000 after acquiring an additional 18,221 shares during the last quarter. Red Door Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 20.2% in the fourth quarter. Red Door Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,840 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $471,000 after purchasing an additional 646 shares during the period. Finally, Capital Planning Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.2% during the fourth quarter. Capital Planning Advisors LLC now owns 9,526 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,168,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO traded down $3.18 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $138.14. The company had a trading volume of 2,855,215 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,043,306. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.73 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.39, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $131.23 and a two-hundred day moving average of $137.78. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced 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 a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have issued reports on VLO. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. TD Cowen cut their price target on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average 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.