Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. Acquires New Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Measured Risk Portfolios Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 12,008 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $1,472,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Merewether Investment Management LP raised its stake in Valero Energy by 198.2% during the 4th quarter. Merewether Investment Management LP now owns 300,672 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $36,859,000 after acquiring an additional 199,829 shares during the period. NDVR Inc. raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 6.1% in the fourth quarter. NDVR Inc. now owns 1,852 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $227,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. boosted its position in Valero Energy by 7.6% in the fourth quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 56,868 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $6,971,000 after buying an additional 4,001 shares during the last quarter. LMR Partners LLP purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,002,000. Finally, LRT Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $630,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price 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. Raymond James reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a "strong-buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $149.60.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO stock opened at $130.48 on Tuesday. The business's 50-day moving average price is $120.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $128.41. 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 cap of $40.87 billion, a PE ratio of 15.39, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $99.00 and a 1-year 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 company had revenue of $28.76 billion for 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%. The business's revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.82 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy's payout ratio is presently 159.72%.

About Valero Energy

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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