Asset Management One Co. Ltd. Buys 6,034 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Asset Management One raised its stake in Valero by 4.6%, buying 6,034 shares to hold 137,211 shares worth $22.724 million.
• Analysts have lifted targets and ratings recently; Valero carries a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a consensus price target of $230.00.
• Valero beat quarterly EPS estimates ($3.82 vs. $3.27) and raised its quarterly dividend to $1.20 (annualized $4.80, a 2.1% yield).

Asset Management One Co. Ltd. raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 4.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 137,211 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 6,034 shares during the quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd.'s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $22,724,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 17.4% in the 3rd quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 160,794 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $27,377,000 after acquiring an additional 23,859 shares during the last quarter. Rakuten Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $4,534,000. Cerity Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 9.0% in the third quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 104,859 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $17,853,000 after buying an additional 8,638 shares during the period. Tema Etfs LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $1,669,000. Finally, National Pension Service increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 3.6% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 491,134 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $83,620,000 after buying an additional 17,165 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Scotiabank raised shares of Valero Energy to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Finally, Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $212.00 to $246.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $230.00.

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.1%

NYSE:VLO opened at $223.79 on Monday. The firm's 50-day moving average price is $225.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $191.91. The company has a market capitalization of $66.92 billion, a PE ratio of 29.29, a P/E/G ratio of 0.46 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $106.83 and a 1-year high of $258.43.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $3.27 by $0.55. The firm had revenue of $30.37 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.20 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 1.91% and a return on equity of 12.35%. The company's revenue was down 1.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 9th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 5th were given a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 5th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. This is a boost from Valero Energy's previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 62.83%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.36% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company's operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.

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