Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Acquired by Norinchukin Bank The

Norinchukin Bank The boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,374 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 745 shares during the period. Norinchukin Bank The’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $3,821,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VLO. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.9% during the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 33,427 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $3,394,000 after buying an additional 632 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 21.7% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 100,006 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $10,163,000 after purchasing an additional 17,844 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 12.5% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 60,730 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $6,167,000 after purchasing an additional 6,735 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter worth about $1,253,000. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. raised its stake in Valero Energy by 21.0% during the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,780 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $688,000 after buying an additional 1,179 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.07% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Up 2.8 %

VLO traded up $3.68 during trading on Friday, reaching $133.58. The company had a trading volume of 2,999,619 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,111,953. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $124.67 and its 200 day simple moving average is $123.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.12 and a current ratio of 1.59. The company has a market cap of $47.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.60, a PEG ratio of 0.92 and a beta of 1.66. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $97.73 and a 12-month high of $150.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, July 27th. The oil and gas company reported $5.40 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.08 by $0.32. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.96% and a return on equity of 42.31%. The business had revenue of $34.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.37 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $11.36 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 33.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 23.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, August 3rd will be given a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.05%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, August 2nd. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 14.05%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Joseph W. Gorder sold 75,580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $135.99, for a total transaction of $10,278,124.20. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 621,872 shares in the company, valued at $84,568,373.28. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Barclays raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $139.00 to $142.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, August 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $171.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Valero Energy from $152.00 to $162.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 16th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target for the company in a research report on Monday, July 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.13.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. The company produces California Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending and Conventional Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending gasolines, CARB diesel, diesel, jet fuel, and asphalt; aromatics; and sulfur crude oils.