Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Bought by QRG Capital Management Inc.

QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 11.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 85,134 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 8,575 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $10,437,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,287,269 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,389,090,000 after purchasing an additional 50,837 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 5.6% in the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,687,585 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $639,268,000 after buying an additional 247,630 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 4,072,188 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $499,210,000 after buying an additional 487,022 shares during the period. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 4,908.0% during the 3rd quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,850,526 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $384,907,000 after buying an additional 2,793,607 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 6.3% in the 3rd quarter. Montrusco Bolton Investments Inc. now owns 2,533,434 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $342,090,000 after acquiring an additional 151,200 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have weighed in on VLO. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Mizuho reduced their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $129.65 on Friday. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The stock has a market cap of $41.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.29, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. The business has a fifty day moving average of $131.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $135.37. 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 (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. On average, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.49%. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.30%.

About Valero Energy

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.