Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Stake Decreased by ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC

ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC cut its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 8.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 3,000 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 285 shares during the period. ARS Wealth Advisors Group LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $368,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $50,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Piper Sandler upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $154.57.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $138.10 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $131.10 and a two-hundred day moving average of $138.59. The stock has a market cap of $43.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.39, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.42. 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.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted 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. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $7.49 EPS. The company’s revenue was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.10%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 38.39%.

Valero Energy 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.