Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC Invests $1.41 Million in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 11,401 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $1,414,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Valero Energy from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $169.00 to $123.00 in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Mizuho decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a "sell" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.57.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO traded up $2.08 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $127.27. 3,029,908 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,381,992. The company's 50 day simple moving average is $130.99 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $139.10. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.29 billion, a PE ratio of 11.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $116.84 and a 12 month high of $184.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. The company 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 firm's revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.49 EPS. Equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were given a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 38.39%.

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.