Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Given Consensus Recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) have been assigned a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the seventeen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $149.80.

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. TD Cowen cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. 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 report on Friday, January 31st. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valero Energy from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $115.00 to $127.00 in a research note on Monday. Scotiabank reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $114.75 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy has a 52-week low of $99.00 and a 52-week high of $168.85. The company has a market cap of $36.14 billion, a PE ratio of 13.53, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.17. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $122.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $129.52.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.27). Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. The business had revenue of $28.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.54 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $3.82 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VLO. World Investment Advisors raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. World Investment Advisors now owns 4,323 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $530,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Segment Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,947 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $606,000 after acquiring an additional 81 shares during the last quarter. Silver Coast Investments LLC grew its position in Valero Energy by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. Silver Coast Investments LLC now owns 5,070 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $622,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 4,687 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $575,000 after buying an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 6.6% during the fourth quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 1,514 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $186,000 after purchasing an additional 94 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

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.