First National Trust Co Decreases Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

First National Trust Co lessened its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 0.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 78,847 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 197 shares during the quarter. First National Trust Co’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $10,647,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Sei Investments Co. lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 11.8% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 229,995 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $39,257,000 after buying an additional 24,320 shares in the last quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 6.0% in the first quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 48,625 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $8,300,000 after acquiring an additional 2,769 shares during the last quarter. Great Diamond Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter worth approximately $213,000. Bleakley Financial Group LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 3.9% in the 1st quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 8,287 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,415,000 after purchasing an additional 308 shares during the last quarter. Finally, BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 15.2% in the 1st quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 44,243 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $7,552,000 after purchasing an additional 5,839 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.0 %

Shares of VLO opened at $138.06 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $43.71 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 1.39. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $135.89 and its 200 day moving average price is $147.21. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $120.21 and a 12-month high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $7.49 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.10%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 38.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on VLO. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price objective for the company. TD Cowen lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Wolfe Research started coverage on Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, July 18th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price objective on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.86.

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.