Sigma Planning Corp Buys 476 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Sigma Planning Corp raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 6.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 8,040 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 476 shares during the period. Sigma Planning Corp’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $986,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of VLO. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Valero Energy by 4.5% during the 3rd quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 102,703 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $13,868,000 after acquiring an additional 4,383 shares during the period. abrdn plc increased its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 2.9% in the third quarter. abrdn plc now owns 430,867 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $58,122,000 after purchasing an additional 12,212 shares in the last quarter. Boston Financial Mangement LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter valued at $216,000. Integrated Advisors Network LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Integrated Advisors Network LLC now owns 5,614 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $758,000 after buying an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Diversify Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in Valero Energy by 17.0% in the 3rd quarter. Diversify Advisory Services LLC now owns 5,055 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $686,000 after buying an additional 733 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

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

Valero Energy Price Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $133.62 on Wednesday. Valero Energy Co. has a 52-week low of $116.84 and a 52-week high of $184.79. 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 fifty day moving average is $131.44 and its 200 day moving average is $135.45. The company has a market cap of $42.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.76, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42.

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 net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.38%. This is a positive change from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 53.30%.

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.