Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Stock Position Increased by Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd.

Key Points

• Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. has increased its stake in Valero Energy Corporation by 11.2%, owning 560,495 shares valued at approximately $74 million.
• Valero Energy's stock has received mixed analyst ratings, with a current consensus of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.47.
• The company reported an EPS of $2.28 in its latest earnings, exceeding expectations, alongside a quarterly dividend announcement of $1.13 per share.

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 11.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 560,495 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 56,274 shares during the quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. owned approximately 0.18% of Valero Energy worth $74,025,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI grew its stake in Valero Energy by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Citizens Financial Group Inc. RI now owns 3,798 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $502,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 2,012 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $266,000 after purchasing an additional 89 shares in the last quarter. Hemington Wealth Management grew its stake in Valero Energy by 39.9% during the 1st quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Field & Main Bank grew its stake in Valero Energy by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Field & Main Bank now owns 7,982 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,054,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heritage Wealth Management Inc. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Heritage Wealth Management Inc. now owns 19,349 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,555,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:VLO traded up $1.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $133.24. 1,812,282 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,337,942. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $99.00 and a twelve month high of $155.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $41.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.12 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 1.62 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $139.22 and a 200 day moving average price of $130.83.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The oil and gas company reported $2.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.66 by $0.62. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 5.76% and a net margin of 0.62%. The business had revenue of $29.89 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $27 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.71 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, July 31st will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 31st. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.4%. Valero Energy's payout ratio is presently 188.33%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $151.00 to $168.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 9th. Wolfe Research lowered Valero Energy from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research report on Monday, July 14th. Evercore ISI started coverage on Valero Energy in a research report on Wednesday, June 18th. They issued an "in-line" rating and a $135.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 16th. Finally, 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $154.47.

Valero Energy 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.