Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Stake Trimmed by Conning Inc.

Conning Inc. reduced its stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 15.6% during the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 164,364 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 30,471 shares during the quarter. Valero Energy makes up approximately 1.3% of Conning Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest position. Conning Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $40,611,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. V Square Quantitative Management LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 0.6% during the first quarter. V Square Quantitative Management LLC now owns 6,670 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,648,000 after buying an additional 42 shares in the last quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 5.5% in the fourth quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 975 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $159,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC raised its holdings in Valero Energy by 32.9% in the fourth quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Valero Energy by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Providence Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,610 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,564,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares during the last quarter. Finally, KPP Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. KPP Advisory Services LLC now owns 2,156 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $533,000 after acquiring an additional 52 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:VLO opened at $280.54 on Friday. Valero Energy Corporation has a 12-month low of $130.78 and a 12-month high of $287.05. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $253.35 and its 200-day simple moving average is $224.56. The firm has a market cap of $83.30 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.39, a PEG ratio of 0.38 and a beta of 0.55.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.16 by $1.06. The company had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was up 7.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Corporation will post 28.72 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 34.88%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently commented on the company. Zacks Research lowered Valero Energy from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, June 22nd. Mizuho upped their price objective on Valero Energy from $222.00 to $289.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. TD Cowen raised their target price on Valero Energy from $276.00 to $292.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. Citigroup boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $246.00 to $259.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $215.00 to $290.00 and gave the company a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $247.59.

Valero Energy News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s Gulf Coast refining network is benefiting from strong fuel demand, elevated crack spreads, and rising exports, which should support refining profitability. Strong Fuel Demand & Elevated Crack Spreads Support Valero’s Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Valero’s recent Russell reclassification into larger-cap and growth benchmarks may be drawing incremental index demand for the stock, while lower crude costs can help preserve refining margins. Why Valero (VLO) Is Up 5.0% After Russell Reclassification And Refining Margin Tailwinds
• Positive Sentiment: Renewed Middle East tensions and rising oil prices are keeping refining margins in focus, which can be supportive for Valero if crude costs remain softer than product prices. Can Valero Energy Benefit From Renewed Middle East Tensions?
• Neutral Sentiment: Valero is also being highlighted as a trending stock, which signals elevated investor attention but does not by itself change fundamentals. Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It

Insider Transactions at Valero Energy

In other news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, June 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $268.17, for a total value of $2,011,275.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president owned 19,742 shares in the company, valued at $5,294,212.14. This trade represents a 27.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

About Valero Energy

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.