12,500 Shares in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Purchased by Mariner Investment Group LLC

Mariner Investment Group LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm bought 12,500 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,532,000. Valero Energy comprises approximately 0.3% of Mariner Investment Group LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 14th biggest position.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at about $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA bought a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $139.80 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $131.28 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $137.82. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $116.84 and a 12-month high of $184.79. The company has a market capitalization of $44.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.54, a P/E/G ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The business had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.93 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.23%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 38.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $154.54.

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.