Fusion Capital LLC Sells 5,277 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Fusion Capital LLC reduced its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 12.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 35,496 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 5,277 shares during the period. Valero Energy comprises about 1.8% of Fusion Capital LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 23rd largest holding. Fusion Capital LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $4,351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Tobam bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its holdings 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Piper Sandler upgraded Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Mizuho dropped their price objective 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. Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO stock traded down $2.36 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $128.37. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,870,976 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,761,522. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $132.25 and its 200-day simple moving average is $134.90. The company has a market capitalization of $40.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.14, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $116.84 and a fifty-two week high of $184.79. 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 (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.52%. This is a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 53.30%.

About Valero Energy

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.