Wedbush Securities Inc. Has $887,000 Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Wedbush Securities Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 37.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,240 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 4,269 shares during the period. Wedbush Securities Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $887,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also 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 4th quarter worth approximately $25,000. Tobam bought a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $37,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the fourth quarter valued at $38,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 122.0% during the fourth quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Down 8.4 %

VLO opened at $104.64 on Monday. Valero Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $100.50 and a fifty-two week high of $183.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $32.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.34, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.17. The company’s 50-day moving average is $131.94 and its 200 day moving average is $132.92. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. Research analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th were paid a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.32%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 30th. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 53.30%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently commented on VLO shares. Mizuho decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. Piper Sandler decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $144.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 7th. Tudor Pickering upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 4th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $152.67.

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.