Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Raised to $160.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target boosted by Morgan Stanley from $145.00 to $160.00 in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

Several other research firms have also recently weighed in on VLO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $150.00 to $164.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 8th. TD Cowen reduced their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $127.00 to $154.00 in a report on Tuesday, May 13th. Finally, Citigroup downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and upped their price objective for the company from $134.00 to $150.00 in a report on Wednesday. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.40.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.0%

NYSE:VLO opened at $146.16 on Wednesday. Valero Energy has a one year low of $99.00 and a one year high of $167.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a current ratio of 1.56. The company has a market capitalization of $45.78 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 51.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.37 and a beta of 1.00. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $136.65 and a 200 day simple moving average of $130.08.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.27). Valero Energy had a net margin of 0.72% and a return on equity of 6.30%. The business had revenue of $28.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.54 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.82 EPS. The business’s revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 2nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, July 31st will be paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, July 31st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 159.72%.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Wayfinding Financial LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $26,000. Hoey Investments Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $26,000. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. raised its position in Valero Energy by 156.6% in the first quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 213 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the period. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Hemington Wealth Management raised its position in Valero Energy by 39.9% in the first quarter. Hemington Wealth Management now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.