Sentry Investment Management LLC Reduces Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Sentry Investment Management LLC reduced its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 10.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,461 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 177 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $197,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. EdgeRock Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Lynx Investment Advisory bought a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the second quarter worth $29,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the 1st quarter valued at $33,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the 2nd quarter worth $31,000. Finally, First Foundation Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the 1st quarter valued at about $37,000. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on VLO shares. StockNews.com cut Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 17th. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Valero Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the company from $169.00 to $123.00 in a research note on Friday, September 20th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, July 18th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $177.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Valero Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and cut their target price for the stock from $172.00 to $165.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $175.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, September 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $156.29.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

VLO stock opened at $129.95 on Tuesday. The company has a market capitalization of $41.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.65, a PEG ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 1.39. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $136.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $148.06. Valero Energy Co. has a fifty-two week low of $119.88 and a fifty-two week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $7.49 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 9.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.39%.

Valero Energy 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.