Valero Energy’s (VLO) “Neutral” Rating Reiterated at Mizuho

Mizuho reaffirmed their neutral rating on shares of Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) in a report published on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a $192.00 price target on the oil and gas company’s stock, up from their previous price target of $190.00.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on VLO. Piper Sandler increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $201.00 to $223.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, November 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Valero Energy from $177.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $216.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and issued a $195.00 price objective (up from $181.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Finally, Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $135.00 to $185.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Friday, September 19th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and eight have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $183.20.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $168.25 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.60, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market capitalization of $51.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 35.13, a PEG ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 0.76. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $171.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $154.68. Valero Energy has a twelve month low of $99.00 and a twelve month high of $185.62.

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

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders 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 2.7%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 94.36%.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total value of $1,728,540.66. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer owned 134,196 shares in the company, valued at $23,352,787.92. This trade represents a 6.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.37% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Hoey Investments Inc. purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. GFG Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% in 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 in the last quarter. JPL Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 1,277.8% in 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 in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently 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.