Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Stake Raised by Brookstone Capital Management

Brookstone Capital Management increased its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 9.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 8,072 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 689 shares during the quarter. Brookstone Capital Management’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $990,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 0.5% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,287,269 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,389,090,000 after purchasing an additional 50,837 shares in the last quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. grew its position in Valero Energy by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Ameriprise Financial Inc. now owns 6,956,743 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $1,090,532,000 after buying an additional 192,397 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its stake in Valero Energy by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,687,585 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $639,268,000 after buying an additional 247,630 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of Valero Energy by 18.8% during the 3rd quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,585,166 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $484,105,000 after buying an additional 567,059 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 4,908.0% in the third quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 2,850,526 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $384,907,000 after acquiring an additional 2,793,607 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.2 %

Valero Energy stock opened at $139.51 on Friday. 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 Co. has a twelve month low of $116.84 and a twelve month high of $184.79. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $131.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $138.59. The firm has a market cap of $44.17 billion, a PE ratio of 12.51, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $7.49 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.24%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on VLO shares. Bank of America started coverage on Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 4th. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, November 11th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, December 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.57.

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.