Bank of Montreal Can Sells 284,014 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Bank of Montreal Can lowered its position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 31.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 625,533 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 284,014 shares during the quarter. Bank of Montreal Can owned 0.20% of Valero Energy worth $85,054,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 11,318.9% in the 3rd quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 1,076,349 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $145,339,000 after purchasing an additional 1,066,923 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 18.8% in the third quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 3,585,166 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $484,105,000 after acquiring an additional 567,059 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,319,436 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $677,007,000 after purchasing an additional 237,347 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valero Energy by 17.6% in the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,550,010 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $238,841,000 after purchasing an additional 232,494 shares during the period. Finally, Westwood Holdings Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $39,517,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO opened at $139.82 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $44.26 billion, a PE ratio of 12.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.61 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The business’s 50-day moving average is $136.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $145.56. Valero Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $120.21 and a 1 year high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $7.49 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.06%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on VLO shares. Barclays reduced their price target on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 16th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.86.

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.