Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Reaches New 1-Year Low – Here’s Why

Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $117.01 and last traded at $117.11, with a volume of 249843 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $118.59.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently commented on VLO. Citigroup lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 16th. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.07.

Valero Energy Trading Down 1.0 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $134.36 and a 200-day simple moving average of $142.13. The stock has a market capitalization of $37.18 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.53, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.40.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.49 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th were issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 38.39%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. &PARTNERS acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter worth about $460,000. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 1.4% in the 2nd quarter. Verdence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 9,522 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,493,000 after purchasing an additional 134 shares during the period. First Command Advisory Services Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy by 41.7% during the 2nd quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. now owns 510 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $80,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Signature Estate & Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $413,000. Finally, Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

About Valero Energy

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.