Linscomb Wealth Inc. Sells 177 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Linscomb Wealth Inc. lessened its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 6,108 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 177 shares during the quarter. Linscomb Wealth Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $749,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. QRG Capital Management Inc. grew its stake in Valero Energy by 11.2% in the fourth quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 85,134 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $10,437,000 after purchasing an additional 8,575 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $28,894,000. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2.2% in the fourth quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 51,262 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $6,284,000 after buying an additional 1,085 shares in the last quarter. Simmons Bank increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 14.8% during the fourth quarter. Simmons Bank now owns 5,517 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $676,000 after buying an additional 711 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Checchi Capital Advisers LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 2.9% during the fourth quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 5,733 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $703,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Tudor Pickering upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 31st. Barclays decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Piper Sandler raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $154.46.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.7 %

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $130.59 on Friday. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. The stock has a market cap of $41.34 billion, a PE ratio of 15.40, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $132.06 and a 200-day moving average of $135.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.46%. 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. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.30%.

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.