Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Mengis Capital Management Inc.

Mengis Capital Management Inc. lessened its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,295 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 149 shares during the period. Mengis Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,660,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter worth about $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth about $31,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $137.02 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.38 billion, a PE ratio of 12.29, a PEG ratio of 2.53 and a beta of 1.39. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $120.21 and a twelve month high of $184.79. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $135.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $146.80.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. Valero Energy’s revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $7.49 EPS. On average, equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.12%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.39%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have commented on VLO shares. Wolfe Research began coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price objective on the stock. StockNews.com cut shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 10th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Citigroup cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $155.86.

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.