Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Crescent Sterling Ltd.

Crescent Sterling Ltd. decreased its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 4.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 395 shares during the quarter. Crescent Sterling Ltd.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,006,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. EWG Elevate Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $438,000. Czech National Bank increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 5.2% in the 4th quarter. Czech National Bank now owns 68,642 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $8,415,000 after purchasing an additional 3,378 shares during the last quarter. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. now owns 15,553 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,907,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Watts Gwilliam & Co. LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth $1,414,000. Finally, Douglas Lane & Associates LLC grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 30,528 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,742,000 after purchasing an additional 2,963 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $127.27 on Monday. Valero Energy Co. has a one year low of $116.84 and a one year high of $184.79. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.41, a PEG ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $130.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $138.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $7.49 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were given a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.36%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Scotiabank lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, October 10th. One 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. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.57.

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.