Nisa Investment Advisors LLC Raises Stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO)

Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 1.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 137,613 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 2,274 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $18,175,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Wealth Advisory Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $3,691,000. Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 2.0% in the first quarter. Westbourne Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 56,129 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $7,413,000 after acquiring an additional 1,084 shares during the period. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 14.4% in the first quarter. Rehmann Capital Advisory Group now owns 2,583 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $341,000 after acquiring an additional 326 shares during the period. Greenleaf Trust lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 14.5% in the first quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 6,987 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $923,000 after acquiring an additional 886 shares during the period. Finally, Silverlake Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth $209,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Trading Down 1.6%

VLO traded down $2.44 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $152.38. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,672,951 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,400,848. The company has a current ratio of 1.56, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market cap of $47.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.84, a PEG ratio of 2.59 and a beta of 1.00. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $133.29 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $128.93. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $99.00 and a 52-week high of $167.78.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.27). Valero Energy had a return on equity of 6.30% and a net margin of 0.72%. The firm had revenue of $28.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.82 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th were issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.97%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 159.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valero Energy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $127.00 to $154.00 in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $142.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Barclays lifted their price objective 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, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $151.00 to $168.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday. Three investment 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $153.56.

About Valero Energy

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.