Essential Partners LLC Sells 3,903 Shares of Valero Energy Corporation $VLO

Essential Partners LLC trimmed its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 76.7% in the 2nd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 1,184 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 3,903 shares during the period. Essential Partners LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $308,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 18,177,191 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,959,065,000 after buying an additional 163,975 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 11,950,982 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,945,500,000 after buying an additional 63,919 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $1,111,542,000. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 7.5% during the fourth quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,668,210 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $922,728,000 after acquiring an additional 394,693 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE increased its position in Valero Energy by 11.4% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 5,033,310 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,243,630,000 after acquiring an additional 516,975 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total transaction of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,294,212.14. The trade was a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on VLO shares. Wolfe Research restated an “underperform” rating and issued a $203.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Tuesday, April 21st. Mizuho upped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $289.00 to $300.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 4th. Scotiabank increased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $178.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $292.00 to $356.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, July 31st. Finally, Raymond James Financial boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $300.00 to $340.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $288.00.

Valero Energy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record diesel prices are creating an attractive margin environment for refiners. Valero is identified among the companies positioned to benefit as fuel prices diverge from crude oil prices, potentially supporting near-term profits. Diesel Prices Are Breaking Records: 3 Refiners Turning the Crisis Into Record Profits
• Positive Sentiment: Gasoline prices above $4 per gallon are supporting the outlook for refiners capable of capturing strong fuel margins. Valero was included among refining stocks viewed favorably in this environment. 4 Refining Stocks to Buy as Gas Prices Top $4 a Gallon
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are raising earnings estimates for Valero, a trend that could provide additional support for the stock after its recent gains. Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for Valero Energy
• Positive Sentiment: VLO was added to multiple Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) lists, including value, growth and overall Strong Buy screens. These rankings may attract additional buying from quantitative and momentum-focused investors. New Strong Buy Stocks for August 17th
• Neutral Sentiment: Unusually heavy put-option activity suggests some traders are positioning for downside or hedging existing holdings. Investors purchased 23,642 puts, about 179% above typical volume, but options activity alone does not establish a fundamental change in Valero’s outlook. Investors Purchase Large Volume of Put Options on Valero Energy

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.9%

Shares of VLO opened at $350.14 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $287.63 and a 200-day moving average price of $250.74. The company has a current ratio of 1.64, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.82 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.23 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $136.87 and a 12-month high of $351.00.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 30th. The oil and gas company reported $12.54 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.11 by $2.43. Valero Energy had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 26.74%. The company had revenue of $44.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.47 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.28 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 48.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 40.62 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, July 31st will be given a dividend of $1.20 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 31st. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.92%.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.