Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Arvest Investments Inc.

Arvest Investments Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 1.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 13,268 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 255 shares during the period. Arvest Investments Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,627,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Tobam acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $37,000. Finally, Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $38,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $133.89 on Thursday. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $116.84 and a 12-month high of $184.79. The company has a market cap of $42.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.79, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.36. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $133.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $133.58.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th were issued 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 yield of 3.38%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 53.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on 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 investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $156.08.

Valero Energy 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.