Opal Wealth Advisors LLC Makes New $255,000 Investment in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Opal Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 1,931 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $255,000.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $29,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $37,000. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 122.0% during the 4th quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Millstone Evans Group LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth about $52,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VLO has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $127.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 13th. Piper Sandler cut their target price on Valero Energy from $144.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. TD Cowen cut their target price on Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 25th. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $151.93.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of VLO stock opened at $134.04 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $41.98 billion, a PE ratio of 15.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.99. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $99.00 and a 52-week high of $167.78. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $122.26 and its 200 day moving average price is $127.56. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.27). Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The business had revenue of $28.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.54 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.82 EPS. Valero Energy’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 159.72%.

About Valero Energy

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.