Golden State Equity Partners Buys 1,285 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Golden State Equity Partners grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 179.2% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 2,002 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 1,285 shares during the quarter. Golden State Equity Partners’ holdings in Valero Energy were worth $245,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC grew its stake in shares of 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 last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. TD Cowen cut their price target 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. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Trading Up 2.4 %

Shares of VLO stock opened at $136.22 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $130.83 and a 200-day moving average of $137.43. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 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 firm has a market cap of $43.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.06, a PEG ratio of 2.67 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.29 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.32%. 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 currently 53.30%.

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.