Intech Investment Management LLC Decreases Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Intech Investment Management LLC reduced its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 29.3% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 222,734 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 92,368 shares during the period. Intech Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $28,955,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $28,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $26,000. Wetzel Investment Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $42,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, Director Kimberly S. Greene sold 720 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.12, for a total transaction of $113,846.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 13,314 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,105,209.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.04% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VLO has been the subject of several recent research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. UBS Group lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $177.00 to $178.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, April 1st. TD Cowen reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 29th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $173.00 to $176.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, eleven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $173.87.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of VLO traded down $0.14 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $162.42. The company had a trading volume of 1,794,632 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,571,529. The firm has a market cap of $53.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.04, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 1.55. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $166.50 and its 200 day moving average price is $145.11. The company has a quick ratio of 1.10, a current ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $105.66 and a 52-week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.18 by $0.64. The firm had revenue of $31.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.02 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 24.82% and a net margin of 5.01%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $8.27 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 18.11 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, May 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 29th. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.64%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 21.20%.

About Valero Energy

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.