Russell Investments Group Ltd. Grows Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 465,888 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 27,850 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $57,066,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at about $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth about $38,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 122.0% in the fourth quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $104.64 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.34, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $131.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $132.92. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $100.50 and a 52 week high of $183.38.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.32%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 30th. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 53.30%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Piper Sandler decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $152.67.

Valero Energy 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.