Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Sold by Intech Investment Management LLC

Intech Investment Management LLC cut its stake in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 38.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,000 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 6,162 shares during the quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,628,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Arista Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 56.1% in the 4th quarter. Arista Wealth Management LLC now owns 5,562 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $905,000 after buying an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2.3% in the 4th quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,991 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,789,000 after buying an additional 250 shares in the last quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Knights of Columbus Asset Advisors LLC now owns 25,972 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,228,000 after buying an additional 1,267 shares in the last quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 263.9% in the 4th quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 34,151 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $5,559,000 after buying an additional 24,765 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrity Alliance LLC. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $1,039,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VLO has been the topic of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $230.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $203.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $243.65.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total transaction of $1,892,331.59. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares in the company, valued at $9,618,080.98. This represents a 16.44% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE:VLO opened at $259.05 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $76.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The company’s 50-day moving average is $244.23 and its two-hundred day moving average is $209.46. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $125.77 and a 12-month high of $265.61.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. Research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 26.51 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.9%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Key Valero Energy News

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valero was named to Zacks’ #1 (Strong Buy) growth stocks list, which may be helping investor sentiment by signaling improving momentum and favorable analyst-style rankings. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 4th
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks said high oil prices may not fully derail Valero’s refining strength, pointing to tight global capacity and low fuel inventories that can keep refining margins supported. Why High Oil Prices Won’t Fully Derail VLO’s Refining Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note reiterated Valero as a strong value stock, adding to the case that the company remains attractive on fundamentals despite the recent run-up. Here’s Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Strong Value Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage focused on whether VLO can extend its move after hitting a 52-week high; this reflects strong performance, but also suggests the stock may need continued fundamental support to keep rising. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: One article flagged insider stock sales over the past year, which can be viewed as a cautious signal even though it does not necessarily change the company’s operating outlook. Possible Bearish Signals With Valero Energy Insiders Disposing Stock

Valero Energy Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.