Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Cetera Advisors LLC

Cetera Advisors LLC cut its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 11,670 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 2,310 shares during the period. Cetera Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,369,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 110.8% during the second quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 215 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Live Oak Investment Partners acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Sageworth Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 716.7% during the first quarter. Sageworth Trust Co now owns 196 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 172 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 217.6% during the first quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 216 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares during the period. Finally, Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 11,500.0% during the first quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 232 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. 77.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE VLO opened at $124.74 on Tuesday. Valero Energy Co. has a one year low of $104.18 and a one year high of $152.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.47 billion, a PE ratio of 4.25, a PEG ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 1.57. The company has a current ratio of 1.51, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $132.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $124.45.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 26th. The oil and gas company reported $7.49 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $7.36 by $0.13. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 39.97% and a net margin of 7.11%. The company had revenue of $38.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $38.46 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $7.14 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 13.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 24.91 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 17th will be paid a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, November 16th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.91%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on VLO shares. StockNews.com started coverage on Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 5th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. Mizuho lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $174.00 to $159.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $144.00 to $141.00 in a report on Monday, October 9th. Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co. lowered Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $150.00 to $130.00 in a report on Monday, October 30th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $142.00 to $144.00 in a report on Tuesday, October 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $153.64.

Valero Energy Company Profile

Valero Energy Corporation manufactures, markets, and sells transportation fuels and petrochemical products in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latin America, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Refining, Renewable Diesel, and Ethanol. The company produces California Reformulated Gasoline Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending and Conventional Blendstock for Oxygenate Blending gasolines, CARB diesel, diesel, jet fuel, and asphalt; aromatics; and sulfur crude oils.