Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. cut its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 2.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 360,554 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 7,900 shares during the quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned 0.11% of Valero Energy worth $44,200,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Tobam bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE VLO traded down $4.47 on Friday, hitting $134.67. 2,938,872 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,136,034. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $130.95 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $135.96. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $116.84 and a 1-year high of $184.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.63 billion, a PE ratio of 15.88, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 1.42.

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 earnings per share (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%. As a group, analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.36%. This is a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 53.30%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research 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. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.