Cwm LLC Buys 15,063 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO)

CWM LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 61.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 39,645 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after purchasing an additional 15,063 shares during the period. CWM LLC's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $5,236,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $44,000. Stephens Inc. AR increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 3.7% in the first quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 63,005 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $8,321,000 after buying an additional 2,248 shares in the last quarter. BankPlus Trust Department increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 7.0% in the first quarter. BankPlus Trust Department now owns 14,078 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $1,859,000 after buying an additional 923 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its stake in Valero Energy by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 92,909 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $12,270,000 after purchasing an additional 1,507 shares during the period. Finally, Mathes Company Inc. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Mathes Company Inc. now owns 18,940 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,501,000 after purchasing an additional 875 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE VLO traded up $1.49 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $146.16. The company had a trading volume of 3,417,770 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,087,472. The stock has a market capitalization of $45.78 billion, a PE ratio of 51.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.46 and a beta of 1.00. Valero Energy Corporation has a twelve month low of $99.00 and a twelve month high of $167.78. The stock's 50 day moving average is $136.19 and its 200-day moving average is $129.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.56.

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

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, July 31st will be issued a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 31st. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio is presently 159.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. Evercore ISI assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, June 18th. They set an "in-line" rating and a $135.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group raised 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 research note on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of 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. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $153.94.

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.