Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Purchased by Kestra Investment Management LLC

Kestra Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 552.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,807 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 4,917 shares during the period. Kestra Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,251,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Balance Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Latitude Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 57.6% in the 2nd quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 38 shares in the last quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 1,980.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Signature Equity Partners LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 126.8% in the 3rd quarter. Signature Equity Partners LLC now owns 127 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $49,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO opened at $350.17 on Wednesday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52-week low of $159.90 and a 52-week high of $461.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.66 billion, a PE ratio of 7.88, a PEG ratio of 0.18 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 business’s 50-day simple moving average is $399.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $291.27.

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

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

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

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: A recent analysis cited Valero’s access to lower-cost heavy crude, strong refining margins, balance sheet and valuation as reasons it may remain attractive. Valero Energy Surges 113% YTD: Should Investors Bet on the Momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks included VLO in its Strong Buy growth-stock selections, adding to the bullish analyst coverage from the prior day. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for November 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article named Valero among five growth stocks to consider, supporting the view that its refining performance could continue to benefit investors. Buy 5 Growth Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio Returns in November
• Negative Sentiment: Cramer said Valero’s two-year refining-cycle rally may have run its course and advised shareholders to take profits before margins normalize further. This is an opinion-based sell call, not a change in the company’s reported fundamentals, but it may add near-term pressure to the stock. Cramer Recommends Selling Valero Energy Stock

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Dbs Bank downgraded shares of Valero Energy to a “hold” rating and set a $436.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Monday, October 19th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $455.00 to $505.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, October 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $457.00 to $496.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their target price 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 given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $406.32.

About Valero Energy

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.