Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Acquired by Versant Capital Management Inc

Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 17.4% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 1,786 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 265 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $236,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 315.0% in the 1st quarter. Central Pacific Bank Trust Division now owns 2,897 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $383,000 after buying an additional 2,199 shares during the last quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 1.0% during the 1st quarter. MassMutual Private Wealth & Trust FSB now owns 38,945 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $5,143,000 after buying an additional 383 shares during the last quarter. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $149,000. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 32.8% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 136,413 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $16,723,000 after acquiring an additional 33,710 shares during the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 105,904 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $12,983,000 after acquiring an additional 2,028 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.3%

Valero Energy stock opened at $128.80 on Monday. Valero Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $99.00 and a 1 year high of $167.78. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $120.80 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $128.13. The firm has a market cap of $40.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $28.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.54 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.82 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.51%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 159.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. UBS Group dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Barclays upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 12th. Scotiabank cut their target price on Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 11th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.93.

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.