Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Bought by Lifeworks Advisors LLC

Lifeworks Advisors LLC grew its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 82.6% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,171 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,434 shares during the period. Lifeworks Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $389,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 123,356 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $14,751,000 after buying an additional 455 shares during the period. Kieckhefer Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at $1,226,000. Hudson Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 6.5% in the fourth quarter. Hudson Capital Management LLC now owns 31,792 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,897,000 after acquiring an additional 1,937 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $274,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 7.5% in the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 89,762 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $12,121,000 after purchasing an additional 6,278 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $127.00 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $40.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.36. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $132.76 and its 200-day simple moving average is $134.40. 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 Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th were given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.56%. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 53.30%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $156.08.

Valero Energy Company 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.