Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Stock Falls 1.8% – Should You Sell?

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO)’s stock price dropped 1.8% during trading on Tuesday. The stock traded as low as $341.51 and last traded at $350.1690. Approximately 3,166,344 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 4% from the average session volume of 3,314,265 shares. The stock had previously closed at $356.75.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VLO shares. Evercore lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $385.00 to $325.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 28th. Erste Group Bank cut Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Dbs Bank downgraded Valero Energy to a “hold” rating and set a $436.00 target price for the company. in a research note on Monday, October 19th. Citigroup lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $485.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $375.00 to $400.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 22nd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $406.32.

Valero Energy Trading Down 1.8%

The stock has a market cap of $100.82 billion, a PE ratio of 7.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.19 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a current ratio of 1.72. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $399.69 and its 200 day moving average price is $290.45.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. The company had revenue of $46.10 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.71 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 8.44% and a return on equity of 45.90%. Valero Energy’s revenue was up 43.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $3.66 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 57.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 21st. Investors of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.80%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 57.6% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. Balance Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth approximately $32,000. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter worth approximately $33,000. Latitude Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 1,980.0% during the 3rd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $40,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international refiner and producer of transportation fuels and other petroleum products, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Its refining business processes crude oil and other feedstocks into products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemical feedstocks. The company markets and distributes fuels to wholesale customers and through branded distribution networks. Its refining operations span the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with products serving customers in North America and other markets.