Goelzer Investment Management Inc. Purchases 131 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Goelzer Investment Management Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 3.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,980 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 131 shares during the period. Goelzer Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $488,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VLO. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho dropped their price objective 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Barclays dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, TD Cowen reduced 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 report on Friday, October 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.57.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $139.80 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $131.28 and a 200 day moving average price of $137.93. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $116.84 and a 12 month high of $184.79. The company has a market cap of $44.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.54, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned $7.49 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.23%. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio 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.