2,205 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Purchased by M Holdings Securities Inc.

M Holdings Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 2,205 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $841,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in Valero Energy by 7.5% in the third quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 8,594 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $3,331,000 after buying an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. Point Nemo Capital LLC increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 1.8% during the third quarter. Point Nemo Capital LLC now owns 5,224 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,025,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 5,317 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,061,000 after acquiring an additional 28 shares during the period. AlphaCentric Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $197,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 9.0% in the 3rd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 3,489 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,352,000 after acquiring an additional 288 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VLO. Evercore lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $385.00 to $325.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 28th. Dbs Bank lowered Valero Energy to a “hold” rating and set a $436.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, October 19th. Freedom Broker cut Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $276.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded Valero Energy from a “buy (b+)” rating to a “buy (a-)” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 29th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $485.00 to $490.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $406.32.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

NYSE:VLO opened at $350.17 on Wednesday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $399.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $291.27. The company has a market cap of $97.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $159.90 and a 52 week high of $461.52.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $21.17 by $2.73. The business had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $42.71 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 45.90% and a net margin of 8.44%. The company’s revenue was up 43.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.66 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 57.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 21st. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 10.80%.

Valero Energy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A recent analysis cited Valero’s access to lower-cost heavy crude, strong refining margins, balance sheet and valuation as reasons it may remain attractive. Valero Energy Surges 113% YTD: Should Investors Bet on the Momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks included VLO in its Strong Buy growth-stock selections, adding to the bullish analyst coverage from the prior day. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for November 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article named Valero among five growth stocks to consider, supporting the view that its refining performance could continue to benefit investors. Buy 5 Growth Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio Returns in November
• Negative Sentiment: Cramer said Valero’s two-year refining-cycle rally may have run its course and advised shareholders to take profits before margins normalize further. This is an opinion-based sell call, not a change in the company’s reported fundamentals, but it may add near-term pressure to the stock. Cramer Recommends Selling Valero Energy Stock

Valero Energy Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international refiner and producer of transportation fuels and other petroleum products, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Its refining business processes crude oil and other feedstocks into products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemical feedstocks. The company markets and distributes fuels to wholesale customers and through branded distribution networks. Its refining operations span the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with products serving customers in North America and other markets.