BankPlus Trust Department Buys New Shares in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

BankPlus Trust Department purchased a new stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 13,155 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,613,000.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 4,908.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,850,526 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $384,907,000 after buying an additional 2,793,607 shares during the period. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund grew its position in Valero Energy by 900.2% in the third quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 631,095 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $85,217,000 after acquiring an additional 568,000 shares in the last quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 18.8% during the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,585,166 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $484,105,000 after buying an additional 567,059 shares in the last quarter. Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $70,352,000. Finally, Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its stake in Valero Energy by 501.1% in the 3rd quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 582,500 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $78,655,000 after buying an additional 485,600 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $134.67 on Monday. 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 $42.63 billion, a PE ratio of 15.88, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $131.06 and a 200 day moving average price of $135.69. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $116.84 and a 1-year high of $184.79.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.36%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on VLO. Barclays dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Mizuho decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $154.46.

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.