Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Upgraded at StockNews.com

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) was upgraded by StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on VLO. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $187.00 to $169.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, June 14th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $156.00 to $210.00 in a report on Friday, March 15th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $177.00 to $178.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. Finally, TD Cowen lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $190.00 to $185.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, eleven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $172.00.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $156.76 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.10 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. Valero Energy has a 12 month low of $112.16 and a 12 month high of $184.79. The company has a market capitalization of $51.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.76, a PEG ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 1.47. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $157.35 and its 200 day moving average is $150.47.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.82 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.18 by $0.64. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 24.82% and a net margin of 5.01%. The firm had revenue of $31.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $32.02 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $8.27 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that Valero Energy will post 16.09 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In other news, Director Kimberly S. Greene sold 720 shares of Valero Energy stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $158.12, for a total value of $113,846.40. Following the transaction, the director now owns 13,314 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,105,209.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.04% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy during the first quarter worth about $39,517,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth approximately $33,000. Cetera Advisors LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 242.2% during the 1st quarter. Cetera Advisors LLC now owns 41,165 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $7,026,000 after purchasing an additional 29,135 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 78.1% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 110,825 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $18,917,000 after buying an additional 48,613 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Invst LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.1% during the first quarter. Invst LLC now owns 7,785 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,344,000 after buying an additional 86 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.