MQS Management LLC Invests $907,000 in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

MQS Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 6,714 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $907,000. Valero Energy accounts for 0.5% of MQS Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 23rd biggest position.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at about $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.7 %

VLO opened at $137.02 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $135.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $146.80. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $120.21 and a 52 week high of $184.79. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a market cap of $43.38 billion, a PE ratio of 12.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The company’s revenue was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $7.49 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.12%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 38.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective 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. Barclays dropped their target price on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.86.

About Valero Energy

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.