Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen ratings firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price objective among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $174.50.

A number of brokerages recently weighed in on VLO. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Mizuho raised Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $165.00 to $175.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price target for the company.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.1 %

NYSE:VLO opened at $134.26 on Wednesday. Valero Energy has a 52 week low of $119.88 and a 52 week high of $184.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The company has a market cap of $43.01 billion, a PE ratio of 6.65, a P/E/G ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.40. The business’s 50 day moving average is $146.50 and its two-hundred day moving average is $155.48.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.60 by $0.11. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The firm had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.97 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $5.40 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 12.3 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, August 1st were issued a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 1st. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.19%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 21.20%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. MGO One Seven LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 198.8% in the 4th quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 16,605 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,159,000 after acquiring an additional 11,047 shares during the last quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 214.4% in the 4th quarter. Ontario Teachers Pension Plan Board now owns 14,475 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,882,000 after purchasing an additional 9,871 shares in the last quarter. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $15,945,000. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 62.2% during the fourth quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 13,586 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,766,000 after buying an additional 5,209 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bollard Group LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 58,968 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $7,666,000 after buying an additional 440 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

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.