Interval Partners LP Acquires 24,829 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Interval Partners LP increased its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) by 177.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 38,784 shares of the oil and gas company's stock after acquiring an additional 24,829 shares during the quarter. Interval Partners LP's holdings in Valero Energy were worth $4,755,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $669,400,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position 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 valued at $4,257,024,000 after purchasing an additional 4,805,133 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $132,469,000. Northern Trust Corp lifted its position in Valero Energy by 15.9% in the 4th quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,850,859 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $472,077,000 after buying an additional 529,513 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 22.5% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,864,418 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $351,151,000 after buying an additional 525,255 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.8%

VLO traded up $1.01 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $135.33. 2,243,222 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,036,897. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.96, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $120.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $128.49. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $99.00 and a 52 week high of $167.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last posted 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 firm 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 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. Valero Energy's revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $3.82 EPS. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 159.72%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on VLO. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler lowered 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 note on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $151.93.

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.