Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Purchased by Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators

Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 6.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,420 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 85 shares during the period. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators’ holdings in Valero Energy were worth $192,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VLO. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter worth $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $34,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have commented on VLO. Bank of America initiated coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. Piper Sandler downgraded shares of Valero Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $169.00 to $123.00 in a report on Friday, September 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Scotiabank dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Valero Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and reduced their target price for the company from $172.00 to $165.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. One investment 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 stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.29.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $139.50 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $44.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.44, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $119.88 and a 1-year high of $184.79. The business has a 50-day moving average of $136.20 and a 200-day moving average of $147.77.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $7.49 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.07%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

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.