Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. Grows Stock Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 6.9% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 15,553 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Tilia Fiduciary Partners Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,907,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VLO. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $28,000. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its position in Valero Energy by 196.8% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 276 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $37,000 after buying an additional 183 shares during the period. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at approximately $50,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Trading Up 1.7 %

VLO traded up $2.08 during trading on Friday, hitting $127.27. 2,994,410 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,278,254. Valero Energy Co. has a 1 year low of $116.84 and a 1 year high of $184.79. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $131.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $139.26. The firm has a market cap of $40.29 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. Valero Energy’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $7.49 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th were given a dividend of $1.07 per share. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.36%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 38.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, November 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $154.57.

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.