Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. Decreases Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 14.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,349,933 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 233,754 shares during the period. Jacobs Levy Equity Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $165,488,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 9.6% during the fourth quarter. Guardian Wealth Advisors LLC NC now owns 1,979 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $243,000 after buying an additional 173 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its position in Valero Energy by 68.6% during the fourth quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 34,199 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,222,000 after purchasing an additional 13,915 shares during the period. Ethic Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 223.6% in the fourth quarter. Ethic Inc. now owns 7,223 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $885,000 after purchasing an additional 4,991 shares in the last quarter. Family Management Corp lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 61.3% during the 4th quarter. Family Management Corp now owns 23,489 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,880,000 after buying an additional 8,930 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its stake in Valero Energy by 23.6% in the 4th quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 1,450,479 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $177,814,000 after buying an additional 277,092 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $122.97 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $120.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $128.44. The company has a market cap of $38.51 billion, a PE ratio of 14.50, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $99.00 and a 52-week high of $167.78.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.16 by ($0.27). The business had revenue of $28.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Valero Energy’s revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $3.82 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.68%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 159.72%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on VLO shares. UBS Group cut their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Raymond James cut their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “sell” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $115.00 to $127.00 in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $145.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 31st. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $149.53.

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.