Payden & Rygel Trims Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Payden & Rygel lowered its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 41.3% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 65,600 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 46,200 shares during the quarter. Payden & Rygel’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $10,679,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Montecito Bank & Trust increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. Montecito Bank & Trust now owns 3,909 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $636,000 after acquiring an additional 54 shares in the last quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Waddell & Associates LLC now owns 2,040 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $347,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. DSG Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 1.6% during the third quarter. DSG Capital Advisors LLC now owns 3,803 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $647,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. River Street Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. River Street Advisors LLC now owns 12,107 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,971,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Childress Capital Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Childress Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,945 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $479,000 after purchasing an additional 62 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. Piper Sandler raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $236.00 to $263.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. Zacks Research raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup increased their price target on Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Scotiabank raised their price target on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $237.94.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

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

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and earnings estimate revisions are pointing higher for Valero, suggesting momentum could continue if the company keeps beating expectations. Earnings Estimates Rising for Valero Energy (VLO): Will It Gain?
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s latest quarter reportedly crushed estimates, with management also indicating refining margins should remain strong, supporting the case for continued earnings strength. Valero Energy (VLO) Crushes Estimates in Q1, Expects Refining Margins to Remain Strong
• Positive Sentiment: The stock is also being highlighted as a strong value name and a potential buy for income-focused investors ahead of its upcoming dividend, which may be attracting buyers. Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Could Be A Buy For Its Upcoming Dividend
• Positive Sentiment: Valero was also added to a Zacks Strong Buy growth list, reinforcing the market’s view that fundamentals and valuation look attractive. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for May 18th
• Neutral Sentiment: An analyst report on Valero Energy Corp. was published, but no specific positive or negative catalyst was included in the headline details. Analyst Report: Valero Energy Corp
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary suggests Valero could still perform well even if oil prices fall, but that appears more like a sector strategy note than a direct company-specific catalyst. Iran Ceasefire Trade: 3 Energy Stocks to Own if Oil Falls to $80 (VLO)

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock opened at $258.39 on Tuesday. Valero Energy Corporation has a one year low of $125.10 and a one year high of $260.31. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $239.59 and its 200-day moving average price is $202.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 1.58. The company has a market capitalization of $76.72 billion, a PE ratio of 18.78, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.58.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.89 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 28.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, May 21st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.9%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 8,311 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $227.69, for a total value of $1,892,331.59. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 42,242 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,618,080.98. The trade was a 16.44% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.36% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.