Thrivent Financial for Lutherans decreased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 7.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 43,267 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 3,382 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans' holdings in Valero Energy were worth $5,743,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VLO. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.4% during the fourth quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 123,356 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $14,751,000 after buying an additional 455 shares during the period. Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $1,226,000. Hudson Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 6.5% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Capital Management LLC now owns 31,792 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $3,897,000 after purchasing an additional 1,937 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $274,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 7.5% during the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 89,762 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $12,121,000 after purchasing an additional 6,278 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
Several brokerages have recently weighed in on VLO. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, March 7th. Mizuho cut their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company 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, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $156.08.
Read Our Latest Research Report on VLO
Valero Energy Stock Up 1.9 %
Shares of NYSE VLO traded up $2.52 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $134.52. 1,434,255 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,767,022. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The business's fifty day moving average price is $133.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $133.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.37 billion, a PE ratio of 15.86, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.36. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79.
Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.
Valero Energy Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were paid a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend 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%.
Valero Energy Company Profile
(
Free Report)
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.
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