Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by Mengis Capital Management Inc.

Mengis Capital Management Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 3.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,905 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 390 shares during the quarter. Mengis Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,459,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. New Wave Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $28,000. Tobam purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its position in shares of 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. Finally, Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $38,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently commented on VLO shares. Piper Sandler upgraded Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. Tudor Pickering raised Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 4th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 31st. Barclays lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $158.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $154.46.

Valero Energy Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE:VLO opened at $135.10 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $42.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.93, a P/E/G ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 1.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. 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 simple moving average of $131.26 and a 200-day simple moving average of $135.57.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, January 30th. The oil and gas company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.50. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 9.58% and a net margin of 2.13%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Investors of record on Thursday, January 30th will be given a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.35%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 53.30%.

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.