Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Receives $172.40 Average PT from Brokerages

Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) has been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the fifteen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $173.63.

A number of research firms recently commented on VLO. Mizuho lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $150.00 to $173.00 in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. TD Cowen raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 8th. Barclays boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $179.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $177.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. Finally, Raymond James upped their target price on Valero Energy from $154.00 to $155.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE:VLO opened at $162.49 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $54.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.54. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $158.12 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $139.11. Valero Energy has a one year low of $104.18 and a one year high of $184.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.95 by $0.60. The business had revenue of $35.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.76 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 31.62%. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $8.45 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 17.25 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VLO. BKM Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $28,000. Finally, Quarry LP increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 1,676.9% in the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 231 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.