Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Purchases 120,652 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 121.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 220,387 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after acquiring an additional 120,652 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned approximately 0.07% of Valero Energy worth $27,017,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the business. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 8.4% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 11,787 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,445,000 after purchasing an additional 917 shares in the last quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. raised its position in Valero Energy by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. Community Trust & Investment Co. now owns 21,919 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,687,000 after buying an additional 1,514 shares during the last quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 3.7% during the 4th quarter. Accurate Wealth Management LLC now owns 2,894 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $368,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares in the last quarter. Quad Cities Investment Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 12.9% in the 4th quarter. Quad Cities Investment Group LLC now owns 5,479 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $672,000 after acquiring an additional 628 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cullen Investment Group LTD. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 16.9% in the fourth quarter. Cullen Investment Group LTD. now owns 1,772 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $217,000 after purchasing an additional 256 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts recently weighed in on VLO shares. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. TD Cowen lowered their target price 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. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target 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. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued 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, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $154.57.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO traded up $1.84 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $141.21. 2,531,248 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,955,522. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $131.16 and a 200-day moving average of $138.59. 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 Co. has a one year low of $116.84 and a one year high of $184.79. The firm has a market cap of $44.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.66, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.49 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a positive change 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 3.20%. Valero Energy's payout ratio is presently 38.39%.

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.