Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Given New $192.00 Price Target at Citigroup

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its target price upped by investment analysts at Citigroup from $160.00 to $192.00 in a research report issued on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Citigroup’s target price suggests a potential upside of 16.60% from the company’s previous close.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on VLO. UBS Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $171.00 to $184.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, April 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Scotiabank boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $138.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, April 11th. Finally, Bank of America raised Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $156.00 to $210.00 in a research report on Friday, March 15th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $173.63.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO traded down $2.62 during trading on Thursday, reaching $164.66. The stock had a trading volume of 770,294 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,332,056. The stock has a market cap of $54.75 billion, a PE ratio of 6.68, a PEG ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.54. The business has a 50-day moving average of $157.71 and a 200-day moving average of $138.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.56. Valero Energy has a one year low of $104.18 and a one year high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.95 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $35.41 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.76 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 31.62% and a net margin of 6.10%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $8.45 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 17.25 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Collective Family Office LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.5% in the 1st quarter. Collective Family Office LLC now owns 4,040 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $690,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in Valero Energy by 4.7% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,327 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $227,000 after buying an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Aua Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 3.1% during the 1st quarter. Aua Capital Management LLC now owns 2,261 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $386,000 after buying an additional 67 shares during the last quarter. United Community Bank raised its stake in Valero Energy by 2.2% during the 4th quarter. United Community Bank now owns 3,416 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $444,000 after buying an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Marino Stram & Associates LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Marino Stram & Associates LLC now owns 8,384 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,090,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.