SPC Financial Inc. Has $1.01 Million Stock Position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

SPC Financial Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 3.8% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 8,272 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 299 shares during the quarter. SPC Financial Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,014,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Tobam acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 196.8% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. 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 currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.6 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $127.69 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $132.43 and a 200-day moving average of $134.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $40.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.06, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $116.84 and a 12 month high of $184.79.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

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

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.