Banque Cantonale Vaudoise Increases Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Banque Cantonale Vaudoise increased its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 32.6% in the second quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,849 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,670 shares during the period. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,272,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Blair William & Co. IL boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.9% in 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 purchasing an additional 632 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Valero Energy by 21.7% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 100,006 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $10,163,000 after buying an additional 17,844 shares during the period. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board boosted its position in Valero Energy by 12.5% during 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 buying an additional 6,735 shares during the period. Prudential PLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $1,253,000. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. boosted its position in Valero Energy by 21.0% during the 1st 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 during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.07% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Up 1.5 %

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $126.08 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.92 billion, a PE ratio of 4.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.57. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $104.18 and a 52-week high of $152.20. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $133.32 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $124.03.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The oil and gas company reported $7.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.36 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $38.40 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $38.46 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 7.11% and a return on equity of 39.97%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $7.14 earnings per share. On average, analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 24.91 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 17th will be issued a dividend of $1.02 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 16th. This represents a $4.08 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.24%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 13.91%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLO has been the subject of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $113.00 to $128.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, September 1st. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $156.00 to $154.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 27th. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $152.00 to $161.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Monday, September 18th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and issued a $160.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Wednesday, July 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $144.00 to $141.00 in a research report on Monday, October 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $153.64.

About Valero Energy

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.