Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the nineteen brokerages that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eleven have given a buy recommendation and two have given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $182.00.

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, November 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Raymond James Financial reissued a “strong-buy” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (up from $181.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on Valero Energy from $177.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Erste Group Bank began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Monday, November 10th. They set a “buy” rating for the company.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total transaction of $1,728,540.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 134,196 shares in the company, valued at approximately $23,352,787.92. This trade represents a 6.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.04% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Hoey Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GFG Capital LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the second quarter worth approximately $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 1,277.8% during the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 248 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $174.88 on Friday. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $170.55 and its 200-day moving average price is $152.51. The firm has a market capitalization of $53.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.51, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 0.76. Valero Energy has a one year low of $99.00 and a one year high of $185.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.09.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The oil and gas company reported $3.66 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.51. The business had revenue of $32.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.80 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 8.69% and a net margin of 1.21%.The firm’s revenue was down 2.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.14 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 94.36%.

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.