Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC reduced its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 3.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 131,335 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after selling 5,078 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $17,345,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of VLO. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $669,400,000. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 16.1% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 34,725,700 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $4,257,024,000 after buying an additional 4,805,133 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 15,395.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,355,699 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $179,047,000 after purchasing an additional 1,346,950 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $132,469,000. Finally, Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $98,376,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.2%

VLO stock opened at $141.16 on Monday. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $125.11 and its 200 day simple moving average is $127.52. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $99.00 and a fifty-two week high of $167.78. The stock has a market cap of $44.21 billion, a PE ratio of 49.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced 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). The company had revenue of $28.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 6.30%. The business's quarterly revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.82 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 20th were issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.20%. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 159.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $144.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a "sector outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $150.88.

Valero Energy Company 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.

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