Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Stock Acquired by Confluence Wealth Services Inc.

Confluence Wealth Services Inc. lifted its position in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 35.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,923 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 3,359 shares during the period. Confluence Wealth Services Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $5,009,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 57.6% during the second quarter. Cornerstone Financial Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the last quarter. Balance Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Global Assets Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Latitude Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Valero Energy by 1,980.0% in the 3rd quarter. Mascoma Wealth Management LLC now owns 104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $40,000 after acquiring an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have commented on VLO shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Valero Energy from $485.00 to $489.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Freedom Broker lowered Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating and set a $276.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, October 23rd. Citigroup boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $485.00 to $490.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Mizuho upped their price target on Valero Energy from $434.00 to $436.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $401.00 to $394.00 and set a “hold” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 8th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and two have 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 price target of $406.32.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO stock opened at $350.17 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.33, a current ratio of 1.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $399.49 and a 200-day moving average price of $291.27. Valero Energy Corporation has a 52 week low of $159.90 and a 52 week high of $461.52. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.66 billion, a PE ratio of 7.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.58.

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

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

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

More Valero Energy News

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.