Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Shares Purchased by Kestra Investment Management LLC

Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 552.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,807 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,917 shares during the quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $2,251,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $1,195,943,000. Amundi increased its stake 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 valued at $638,695,000 after acquiring an additional 806,018 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 33.9% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 2,058,341 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $536,074,000 after acquiring an additional 520,642 shares during the last quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $59,917,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 18.4% in the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,842,339 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $702,285,000 after acquiring an additional 442,177 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on VLO. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Valero Energy from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 29th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $401.00 to $394.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 8th. Evercore cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $385.00 to $325.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 28th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, August 27th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $485.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $406.32.

Valero Energy Trading Down 1.8%

NYSE VLO opened at $350.17 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $97.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.72 and a quick ratio of 1.33. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $399.49 and its 200-day moving average is $291.27. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $159.90 and a one year high of $461.52.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 45.90% and a net margin of 8.44%. The business had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.71 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $3.66 EPS. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was up 43.3% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 57.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 10.80%.

Key Valero Energy News

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

• Positive Sentiment: A recent analysis cited Valero’s access to lower-cost heavy crude, strong refining margins, balance sheet and valuation as reasons it may remain attractive. Valero Energy Surges 113% YTD: Should Investors Bet on the Momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks included VLO in its Strong Buy growth-stock selections, adding to the bullish analyst coverage from the prior day. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for November 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article named Valero among five growth stocks to consider, supporting the view that its refining performance could continue to benefit investors. Buy 5 Growth Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio Returns in November
• Negative Sentiment: Cramer said Valero’s two-year refining-cycle rally may have run its course and advised shareholders to take profits before margins normalize further. This is an opinion-based sell call, not a change in the company’s reported fundamentals, but it may add near-term pressure to the stock. Cramer Recommends Selling Valero Energy Stock

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international refiner and producer of transportation fuels and other petroleum products, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Its refining business processes crude oil and other feedstocks into products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemical feedstocks. The company markets and distributes fuels to wholesale customers and through branded distribution networks. Its refining operations span the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with products serving customers in North America and other markets.