Everence Capital Management Inc. Sells 3,590 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Everence Capital Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 9.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 32,960 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,590 shares during the period. Everence Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $4,285,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BKM Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 1,676.9% in the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 231 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on VLO. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $154.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 26th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, April 8th. Finally, Mizuho lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and raised their price target for the stock from $150.00 to $173.00 in a research report on Friday, March 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.40.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO traded down $1.68 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $168.99. 2,076,258 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,372,784. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $56.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 1.54. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $156.56 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $138.56. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $104.18 and a 52-week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.95 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $35.41 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.76 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 31.62%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 15.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $8.45 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 17.25 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 4th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 1st were issued a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.53%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 31st. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.02. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is presently 17.31%.

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.