24,548 Shares in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Acquired by Prospera Private Wealth LLC

Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 24,548 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,315,000.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Valero Energy by 3.4% during the second quarter. International Private Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,970 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $309,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares during the period. OmniStar Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.6% in the second quarter. OmniStar Financial Group Inc. now owns 4,543 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $712,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Everhart Financial Group Inc. grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 5.5% during the second quarter. Everhart Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,366 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $214,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 1.4% during the second quarter. St. Johns Investment Management Company LLC now owns 5,068 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $794,000 after acquiring an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Magnus Financial Group LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 4.3% in the second quarter. Magnus Financial Group LLC now owns 1,752 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $275,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Down 1.4 %

Shares of VLO opened at $142.01 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $136.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $146.15. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market capitalization of $44.96 billion, a PE ratio of 12.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 1.39. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $120.21 and a 52-week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.04 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $7.49 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors 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 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.01%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 38.39%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VLO. Bank of America began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 16th. Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Scotiabank dropped their target price on Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $175.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Valero Energy Profile

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.