Moran Wealth Management LLC Boosts Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Moran Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.4% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 4,897 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Moran Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $600,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 123,356 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $14,751,000 after buying an additional 455 shares during the period. Kieckhefer Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $1,226,000. Hudson Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. Hudson Capital Management LLC now owns 31,792 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,897,000 after purchasing an additional 1,937 shares during the last quarter. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $274,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 7.5% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 89,762 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $12,121,000 after purchasing an additional 6,278 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO opened at $125.35 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $132.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $134.00. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The company has a market cap of $39.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.78, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.36. 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 (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.61%. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 53.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have weighed in on VLO. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Tudor Pickering upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 7th. Finally, Mizuho dropped 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. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.