Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-one research firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat reports. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $243.6471.

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Raymond James Financial lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $280.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 2nd. Weiss Ratings raised Valero Energy from a “hold (c)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $255.00 to $276.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, April 4th.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.9%

Shares of VLO opened at $259.05 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.15. Valero Energy has a 1 year low of $125.77 and a 1 year high of $265.61. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $244.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $209.46. The firm has a market cap of $76.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.39 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.38 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.89 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 26.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be paid a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Trending Headlines about Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero was named to Zacks’ #1 (Strong Buy) growth stocks list, which may be helping investor sentiment by signaling improving momentum and favorable analyst-style rankings. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for June 4th
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks said high oil prices may not fully derail Valero’s refining strength, pointing to tight global capacity and low fuel inventories that can keep refining margins supported. Why High Oil Prices Won’t Fully Derail VLO’s Refining Strength
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks note reiterated Valero as a strong value stock, adding to the case that the company remains attractive on fundamentals despite the recent run-up. Here’s Why Valero Energy (VLO) is a Strong Value Stock
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage focused on whether VLO can extend its move after hitting a 52-week high; this reflects strong performance, but also suggests the stock may need continued fundamental support to keep rising. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?
• Negative Sentiment: One article flagged insider stock sales over the past year, which can be viewed as a cautious signal even though it does not necessarily change the company’s operating outlook. Possible Bearish Signals With Valero Energy Insiders Disposing Stock

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other Valero Energy news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 400 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $238.60, for a total value of $95,440.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,111,542,000. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $275,239,000. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 2,635.7% in the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 950,527 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $154,736,000 after purchasing an additional 915,782 shares during the period. Amundi boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 45.3% in the 1st quarter. Amundi now owns 2,584,976 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $638,695,000 after purchasing an additional 806,018 shares during the period. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 49.3% in the 4th quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 1,696,811 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $276,224,000 after purchasing an additional 560,116 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.