Farther Finance Advisors LLC Buys 3,964 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 114.1% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,437 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,964 shares during the quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $995,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Wesbanco Bank Inc. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 9.7% during the first quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 7,815 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,032,000 after buying an additional 689 shares during the last quarter. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 7.4% during the 1st quarter. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. now owns 16,707 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,207,000 after buying an additional 1,154 shares in the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 18.2% during the 1st quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 16,220 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $2,142,000 after buying an additional 2,502 shares during the period. Orrstown Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at $224,000. Finally, Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $225,000. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock traded up $0.54 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $134.04. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,758,276 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,033,120. The company has a market capitalization of $41.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.81, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.99. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $121.69 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $127.60. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $99.00 and a 12-month high of $167.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.27). Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The firm had revenue of $28.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.82 EPS. Valero Energy's revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be given a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.37%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 159.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valero Energy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $127.00 to $154.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 24th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $151.93.

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.