Sachetta LLC Sells 133 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Sachetta LLC cut its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 5.6% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,242 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 133 shares during the period. Sachetta LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $367,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VLO. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $31,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth about $33,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $134.17 on Tuesday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $148.31 and a 200-day moving average of $155.70. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $119.88 and a 12 month high of $184.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.99 billion, a PE ratio of 6.65, a PEG ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 1.40.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.97 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The company’s revenue was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $5.40 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 12.3 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st were paid a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.19%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 1st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 21.20%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Scotiabank upped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $173.00 and gave the company a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. Mizuho upgraded Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to an “outperform” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $165.00 to $175.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $178.00 to $172.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.50.

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.