Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Acquired by MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH

MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 11.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 53,345 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,311 shares during the quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $6,935,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. BKM Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Live Oak Investment Partners bought a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at $26,000. Finally, Quarry LP raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 1,676.9% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 231 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently commented on VLO shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $149.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, January 29th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the stock a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Mizuho downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $150.00 to $173.00 in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Bank of America upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $156.00 to $210.00 in a report on Friday, March 15th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $165.69.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock traded up $2.88 during trading on Friday, hitting $170.69. 3,325,987 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,672,776. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $146.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $136.00. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $104.18 and a twelve month high of $172.46. The company has a market cap of $56.75 billion, a PE ratio of 6.90, a PEG ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.53.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.95 by $0.60. The firm had revenue of $35.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.76 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 31.62%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $8.45 earnings per share. Analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 16.2 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 1st were given a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 31st. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.02. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.51%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 17.31%.

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.