LRT Capital Management LLC Makes New $630,000 Investment in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

LRT Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 5,137 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $630,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $669,400,000. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 16.1% in 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 period. Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth approximately $132,469,000. Northern Trust Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 15.9% during the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 3,850,859 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $472,077,000 after purchasing an additional 529,513 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Valero Energy by 22.5% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 2,864,418 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $351,151,000 after buying an additional 525,255 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company's stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:VLO traded up $1.01 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $135.33. 2,243,222 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,036,897. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $120.66 and a two-hundred day moving average of $128.49. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $99.00 and a 12 month high of $167.78. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last released 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The business's revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.82 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. 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 Wednesday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy's payout ratio is 159.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. UBS Group lowered their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, April 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valero Energy from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $127.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $144.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 25th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $158.00 to $166.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target 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.