Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Holdings Lessened by Lido Advisors LLC

Lido Advisors LLC lowered its holdings in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 89,085 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 1,632 shares during the quarter. Lido Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $34,531,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. Moore Capital Management LP bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at about $13,193,000. QRG Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 5.5% during the 2nd quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. now owns 58,558 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $15,251,000 after purchasing an additional 3,037 shares during the last quarter. Atlatl Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $10,206,000. QP Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $1,423,000. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC increased its holdings in Valero Energy by 377.1% during the 1st quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 413,437 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $102,152,000 after purchasing an additional 326,777 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $350.17 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $399.49 and its 200 day simple moving average is $291.27. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $97.66 billion, a PE ratio of 7.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 0.58. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1-year low of $159.90 and a 1-year high of $461.52.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, October 22nd. The oil and gas company reported $23.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $21.17 by $2.73. Valero Energy had a net margin of 8.44% and a return on equity of 45.90%. The business had revenue of $46.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $42.71 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $3.66 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 43.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 57.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, December 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a $1.20 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. This represents a $4.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.4%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 10.80%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Erste Group Bank lowered Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 27th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $375.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, October 22nd. Bank of America lifted their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $395.00 to $414.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $441.00 to $443.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, October 23rd. Finally, Raymond James Financial increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $450.00 to $530.00 in a report on Monday, October 19th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, eight have assigned a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $406.32.

Key Stories Impacting Valero Energy

Here are the key news stories impacting Valero Energy this week:

• Positive Sentiment: A recent analysis cited Valero’s access to lower-cost heavy crude, strong refining margins, balance sheet and valuation as reasons it may remain attractive. Valero Energy Surges 113% YTD: Should Investors Bet on the Momentum?
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks included VLO in its Strong Buy growth-stock selections, adding to the bullish analyst coverage from the prior day. Best Growth Stocks to Buy for November 9th
• Positive Sentiment: Another Zacks article named Valero among five growth stocks to consider, supporting the view that its refining performance could continue to benefit investors. Buy 5 Growth Stocks to Enhance Your Portfolio Returns in November
• Negative Sentiment: Cramer said Valero’s two-year refining-cycle rally may have run its course and advised shareholders to take profits before margins normalize further. This is an opinion-based sell call, not a change in the company’s reported fundamentals, but it may add near-term pressure to the stock. Cramer Recommends Selling Valero Energy Stock

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is an international refiner and producer of transportation fuels and other petroleum products, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. Its refining business processes crude oil and other feedstocks into products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, asphalt and petrochemical feedstocks. The company markets and distributes fuels to wholesale customers and through branded distribution networks. Its refining operations span the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, with products serving customers in North America and other markets.