235,695 Shares in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Purchased by Proficio Capital Partners LLC

Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 235,695 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $28,894,000.

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Tobam bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in Valero Energy by 196.8% during the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on VLO. Barclays cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Mizuho cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $130.59 on Friday. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $116.84 and a twelve month high of $184.79. The firm has a market cap of $41.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a 50 day moving average of $132.06 and a 200 day moving average of $135.23. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. As a group, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.46%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 53.30%.

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.