Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Donaldson Capital Management LLC

Donaldson Capital Management LLC decreased its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 16.5% during the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 20,576 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 4,054 shares during the quarter. Donaldson Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,522,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $28,000. Tobam acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% in the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO opened at $126.78 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $40.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.36. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $132.91 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $134.22.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were paid a $1.13 dividend. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Piper Sandler dropped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $156.08.

Valero Energy Company Profile

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.