Freedom Investment Management Inc. Decreases Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Freedom Investment Management Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 3.7% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 8,792 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 334 shares during the quarter. Freedom Investment Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,078,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Tobam acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 122.0% during the fourth quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Trading Up 2.7 %

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $109.98 on Friday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $125.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $130.83. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $99.00 and a twelve month high of $168.85. The firm has a market capitalization of $34.64 billion, a PE ratio of 12.97, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.17. 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 (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have issued reports on VLO. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 9th. Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Scotiabank decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.46.

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.