Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Stock Position Reduced by Prudential PLC

Prudential PLC trimmed its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 17.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 11,418 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 2,435 shares during the quarter. Prudential PLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,400,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Tobam acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at about $38,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 122.0% in the 4th quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $104.64 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.34, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.17. The business has a 50-day moving average of $131.94 and a 200-day moving average of $132.92. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $101.54 and a 1 year high of $183.38.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.32%. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $152.67.

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.