Peak Retirement Planning Inc. Acquires Shares of 6,701 Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Peak Retirement Planning Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 6,701 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $822,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tobam purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 122.0% during the fourth quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO traded up $1.26 during trading on Thursday, hitting $128.19. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,006,776 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,033,554. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firm has a market cap of $40.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.11, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a 50-day moving average of $120.92 and a 200-day moving average of $128.41. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $99.00 and a 12 month high of $167.78.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.27). The firm had revenue of $28.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. The company's revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.82 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.53%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 159.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VLO has been the topic of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $127.00 to $154.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler decreased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $144.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $151.93.

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.