O Brien Greene & Co. Inc Increases Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

O Brien Greene & Co. Inc increased its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 52,104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 1,437 shares during the quarter. Valero Energy comprises approximately 2.1% of O Brien Greene & Co. Inc’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 18th biggest position. O Brien Greene & Co. Inc’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $6,387,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 196.8% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Price Performance

NYSE VLO opened at $137.06 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $130.76 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $135.94. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.16, a P/E/G ratio of 2.91 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $116.84 and a 12-month high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. Analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. 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 3.30%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.30%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on VLO shares. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 8th. Piper Sandler raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Barclays dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.46.

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.