Brookstone Capital Management Sells 3,088 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Brookstone Capital Management cut its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 29.7% during the first quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 7,307 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,088 shares during the quarter. Brookstone Capital Management’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,805,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Triumph Capital Management bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $35,000. Finally, University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 157.0% during the fourth quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $236.90, for a total transaction of $1,776,750.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 27,242 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,453,629.80. This represents a 21.59% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 5.2%

VLO stock opened at $255.11 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $245.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $217.07. Valero Energy Corporation has a fifty-two week low of $130.78 and a fifty-two week high of $265.61. The firm has a market cap of $75.75 billion, a PE ratio of 18.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results 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 company had revenue of $32.38 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 27.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 34.88%.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Valero is benefiting from a favorable refining backdrop, with commentary pointing to strong crack spreads, tight fuel inventories, and expectations that refinery utilization will remain high, all of which support earnings and cash flow. Valero Energy shares climb as refining margin tailwinds stay in focus
• Positive Sentiment: Valero has been highlighted as a strong cash-return story, with investors watching for continued dividends and share buybacks as refining conditions remain supportive. Valero Energy (VLO) Stock Is Tied To A Cash Return Story Right Now
• Positive Sentiment: Wells Fargo reiterated its buy rating on Valero, reinforcing a constructive view from analysts even as the stock trades near the upper end of its recent range. Wells Fargo Sticks to Their Buy Rating for Valero Energy (VLO)
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparative pieces versus Cenovus argue that Valero still looks attractive on recent gains, but also note that peers may offer lower valuation or different strategic advantages. Cenovus vs. Valero Energy: Which Energy Stock Is the Better Buy?
• Negative Sentiment: One Zacks Research note downgraded Valero from strong-buy to hold, which could temper enthusiasm after the recent run-up. Zacks.com

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VLO. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, June 12th. Raymond James Financial increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 25th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Zacks Research cut Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $245.59.

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.