Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Banco Santander S.A.

Banco Santander S.A. decreased its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 11.6% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 53,211 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 6,981 shares during the quarter. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $8,341,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of VLO. EdgeRock Capital LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Rise Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock traded up $0.79 on Thursday, reaching $141.84. 2,274,976 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,979,281. The stock has a market cap of $46.38 billion, a PE ratio of 7.02, a PEG ratio of 2.78 and a beta of 1.42. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $150.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $155.58. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $119.88 and a twelve month high of $184.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.11. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 21.01% and a net margin of 4.25%. The firm had revenue of $34.49 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.97 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $5.40 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 12.86 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, September 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, August 1st will be paid a dividend of $1.07 per share. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.02%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, August 1st. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 21.20%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $187.00 to $169.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Barclays cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, July 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Scotiabank raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, July 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $174.00.

Valero Energy 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.