New York State Common Retirement Fund Decreases Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

New York State Common Retirement Fund lowered its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 338,325 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 7,000 shares during the quarter. New York State Common Retirement Fund owned about 0.11% of Valero Energy worth $41,475,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VLO. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Tobam purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 196.8% in the 3rd quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO stock opened at $139.09 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $44.03 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.40, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $116.84 and a 12-month high of $184.79. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $130.95 and its 200 day simple moving average is $135.96.

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

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.25%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VLO shares. Mizuho decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. TD Cowen cut their target price on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Piper Sandler raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Company 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.