MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC Makes New $6.88 Million Investment in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• MinichMacGregor Wealth Management opened a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter, buying 27,832 shares valued at about $6.88 million.
• Institutional interest in Valero remains strong, with multiple firms recently adding to or starting positions; overall, 78.69% of the stock is held by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
• Valero reported better-than-expected first-quarter earnings of $4.22 per share on revenue of $32.38 billion, and analysts currently rate the stock Moderate Buy with an average price target of $245.59.

MinichMacGregor Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 27,832 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $6,877,000.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. AXS Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 157.0% during the fourth quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 32.9% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target 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. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Monday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $220.00 to $292.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 31st. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $245.59.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.90, for a total transaction of $1,776,750.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 27,242 shares of the company's stock, valued at $6,453,629.80. The trade was a 21.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $242.77 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company has a market cap of $72.09 billion, a PE ratio of 17.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $130.78 and a 52 week high of $265.61. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $245.41 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $216.50.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The firm had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.89 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 27.45 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 34.88%.

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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