Prudent Man Advisors LLC Trims Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Prudent Man Advisors LLC reduced its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 4,279 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 558 shares during the quarter. Prudent Man Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $525,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth about $28,000. Tobam acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. Piper Sandler upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Barclays cut their price target 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. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $154.46.

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $130.59 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $41.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $116.84 and a 1 year high of $184.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $132.06 and its 200-day simple moving average is $135.23.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. 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 3.46%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 53.30%.

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.