Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC

Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC cut its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 1.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 7,939 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 91 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,072,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VLO. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the first quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter valued at $34,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock opened at $139.55 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $146.80. The stock has a market cap of $44.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.51 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. 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 for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.49 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.1 EPS for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.07%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.39%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently weighed in on VLO. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 17th. Barclays decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Valero Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $172.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Wednesday, October 9th. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Finally, Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company 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.