Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Raised to $184.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price objective increased by Barclays from $169.00 to $184.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday morning,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an overweight rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the stock. Bank of America upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $152.00 to $179.00 in a research report on Wednesday, September 3rd. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $195.00 price target (up from $181.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Friday, October 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $177.00 to $197.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Mizuho lifted their price objective on Valero Energy from $166.00 to $190.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. Finally, TD Cowen boosted their target price on Valero Energy from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $182.00.

Valero Energy Stock Down 2.8%

VLO opened at $180.23 on Monday. Valero Energy has a 52 week low of $99.00 and a 52 week high of $185.62. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $168.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $148.96. The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The company has a market cap of $54.97 billion, a PE ratio of 37.63, a P/E/G ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.01.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The oil and gas company reported $3.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.51. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 8.69% and a net margin of 1.21%.The business had revenue of $32.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.80 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.14 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Valero Energy will post 7.92 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Investors of record on Thursday, November 20th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.5%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 94.36%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VLO. JPL Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 70.2% during the 3rd quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Hoey Investments Inc. acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Cypress Capital Management LLC WY purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the third quarter valued at about $34,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.