Old Port Advisors Reduces Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Old Port Advisors reduced its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 5,115 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 169 shares during the period. Old Port Advisors’ holdings in Valero Energy were worth $627,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Wellington Management Group LLP lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 4,908.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,850,526 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $384,907,000 after buying an additional 2,793,607 shares during the last quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 11,318.9% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,076,349 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $145,339,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066,923 shares during the last quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 900.2% during the 3rd quarter. Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund now owns 631,095 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $85,217,000 after purchasing an additional 568,000 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy by 18.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,585,166 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $484,105,000 after purchasing an additional 567,059 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Worldquant Millennium Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $70,352,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, September 16th. TD Cowen cut their price target on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Bank of America began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.07.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of VLO stock traded up $1.23 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $123.82. 523,205 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,926,495. The firm has a market cap of $39.20 billion, a PE ratio of 11.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 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. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $131.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $140.31. Valero Energy Co. has a 1-year low of $116.84 and a 1-year high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted 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 return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. 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 business earned $7.49 earnings per share. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.39%.

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.