Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Purchases 10,878 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management increased its Valero Energy stake by 4.2% in the second quarter, purchasing 10,878 shares and bringing its holdings to 267,439 shares valued at approximately $69.7 million.
• Valero reported strong quarterly results, with EPS of $12.54 versus $10.11 expected and revenue of $44.48 billion, up 48.8% year over year.
• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $1.20 per share, equal to $4.80 annually and a 1.4% yield; analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus despite an average price target of $288.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 267,439 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after buying an additional 10,878 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned approximately 0.09% of Valero Energy worth $69,652,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Whipplewood Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 3,400.0% in the 1st quarter. Whipplewood Advisors LLC now owns 105 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 102 shares during the period. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 134.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 117 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. Global Assets Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO opened at $349.27 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.23, a current ratio of 1.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The stock has a market cap of $100.57 billion, a PE ratio of 14.49, a PEG ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $140.13 and a 12-month high of $352.70. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $292.93 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $253.69.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $10.11 by $2.43. The firm had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $39.47 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 26.74% and a net margin of 5.17%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 48.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.28 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Investors of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 19.92%.

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 that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 19,742 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.36% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $280.00 to $355.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 31st. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "buy (b-)" rating to a "buy (b)" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Mizuho boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $288.00.

About Valero Energy

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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