36,104 Shares in Valero Energy Corporation $VLO Bought by TrueMark Investments LLC

TrueMark Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 36,104 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,921,000. Valero Energy makes up about 1.7% of TrueMark Investments LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th biggest holding.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $27,000. Torren Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. AXS Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 157.0% during the 4th quarter. University of Texas Texas AM Investment Management Co. now owns 203 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 32.9% during the 4th quarter. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC now owns 206 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $242.77 on Thursday. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $245.41 and its 200 day moving average is $216.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $72.09 billion, a PE ratio of 17.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.55. Valero Energy Corporation has a 1 year low of $130.78 and a 1 year high of $265.61. The company has a current ratio of 1.58, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 30th. The oil and gas company reported $4.22 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.16 by $1.06. Valero Energy had a net margin of 3.37% and a return on equity of 15.94%. The business had revenue of $32.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $31.38 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.89 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 7.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Valero Energy Corporation will post 27.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, June 23rd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, May 21st were paid a $1.20 dividend. This represents a $4.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.0%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, May 21st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 34.88%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on VLO. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $280.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, June 11th. Wall Street Zen raised Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, April 4th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on Valero Energy from $232.00 to $255.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, June 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Valero Energy from $203.00 to $237.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Wolfe Research restated an “underperform” rating and set a $203.00 price objective on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $245.59.

Insider Activity at Valero Energy

In related news, SVP Eric A. Fisher sold 7,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $236.90, for a total transaction of $1,776,750.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 27,242 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,453,629.80. This trade represents a 21.59% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Profile

Valero Energy Corporation is a San Antonio, Texas–based integrated downstream energy company that manufactures and markets transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks and other industrial products. The company’s operations focus on refining crude oil into finished fuels such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as producing asphalt and other refined product streams for commercial and industrial customers.

In addition to refining, Valero has significant operations in renewable fuels, including the production of ethanol and other biofuels, and it manages an extensive logistics network of pipelines, terminals, rail and marine assets to move feedstocks and finished products.