GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 60,942 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $7,471,000.
Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 16.1% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 34,725,700 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $4,257,024,000 after purchasing an additional 4,805,133 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 4.0% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,701,232 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $1,311,864,000 after purchasing an additional 413,963 shares during the period. Ameriprise Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 7,938,335 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $973,119,000 after buying an additional 429,252 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,871,229 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $844,775,000 after buying an additional 100,248 shares during the period. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $669,400,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.
Valero Energy Stock Performance
Valero Energy stock traded up $2.08 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $130.63. 2,426,447 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,036,637. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $121.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $128.41. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $40.91 billion, a PE ratio of 15.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. Valero Energy Co. has a one year low of $99.00 and a one year high of $167.78.
Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.27). The business had revenue of $28.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The firm's revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $3.82 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.
Valero Energy Dividend Announcement
The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 159.72%.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on VLO shares. Tudor Pickering upgraded Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Scotiabank decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 11th. Raymond James decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Barclays lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 12th. Finally, TD Cowen decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $151.93.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Valero Energy
About Valero Energy
(
Free Report)
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.
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