Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Sets New 1-Year High – Time to Buy?

Valero Energy Corporation (NYSE:VLO)’s share price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $182.99 and last traded at $180.97, with a volume of 1868764 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $179.18.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Saturday, October 25th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $183.00 target price on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Erste Group Bank initiated coverage on Valero Energy in a research note on Monday. They set a “buy” rating for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price objective on Valero Energy from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, October 24th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $179.53.

Valero Energy Price Performance

The company has a quick ratio of 1.09, a current ratio of 1.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market cap of $54.66 billion, a PE ratio of 37.39, a PEG ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 1.01. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $165.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $146.50.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 23rd. The oil and gas company reported $3.66 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.15 by $0.51. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 8.69% and a net margin of 1.21%.The firm had revenue of $32.17 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.80 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 2.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that Valero Energy Corporation will post 7.92 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 18th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, November 20th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, November 20th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.5%. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 94.36%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Hoey Investments Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at $26,000. GFG Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter worth about $27,000. Highline Wealth Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 70.2% during the third quarter. Highline Wealth Partners LLC now owns 160 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 66 shares during the last quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 156.6% in the 1st quarter. Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. now owns 213 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1,277.8% in the 2nd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 248 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 230 shares during the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.