Mizuho Cuts Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target to $165.00

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price objective reduced by Mizuho from $171.00 to $165.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday,Benzinga reports. Mizuho currently has an outperform rating on the oil and gas company’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Bank of America assumed coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price on the stock. Scotiabank reduced their target price on Valero Energy from $173.00 to $141.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, October 10th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, December 9th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $155.07.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO stock opened at $125.07 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $135.89 and a 200-day moving average price of $143.00. Valero Energy has a 1-year low of $124.02 and a 1-year high of $184.79. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $39.60 billion, a PE ratio of 11.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.39.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The firm’s revenue was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $7.49 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is 38.39%.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 130.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,136 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $194,000 after buying an additional 644 shares in the last quarter. Brookstone Capital Management boosted its position in Valero Energy by 5.7% in the second quarter. Brookstone Capital Management now owns 6,326 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $949,000 after purchasing an additional 341 shares during the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy by 12.9% in the 2nd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 13,510 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,118,000 after purchasing an additional 1,548 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Valero Energy by 9.8% during the 2nd quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 292,900 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $45,915,000 after purchasing an additional 26,041 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pallas Capital Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter. Pallas Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,195 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $324,000 after purchasing an additional 311 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

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.