Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Given New $180.00 Price Target at Morgan Stanley

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price target raised by analysts at Morgan Stanley from $175.00 to $180.00 in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. Morgan Stanley’s price objective would indicate a potential downside of 1.46% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Valero Energy from $216.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, November 10th. Bank of America reiterated a “neutral” rating and set a $195.00 price objective (down from $198.00) on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Valero Energy in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $223.00 to $217.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $162.00 to $165.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating and nine have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $183.33.

Valero Energy Stock Down 0.3%

Valero Energy stock traded down $0.61 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $182.68. 1,259,162 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,911,608. Valero Energy has a 1 year low of $99.00 and a 1 year high of $194.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 1.60 and a quick ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market cap of $55.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.13, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $174.82 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $162.90.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valero Energy

In related news, CFO Jason W. Fraser sold 9,933 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $174.02, for a total value of $1,728,540.66. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 134,196 shares in the company, valued at $23,352,787.92. This represents a 6.89% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valero Energy

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. lifted its position in Valero Energy by 4.8% in the fourth quarter. Magnolia Capital Management Ltd. now owns 3,145 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $512,000 after purchasing an additional 145 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 51.0% in the fourth quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 350,913 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $57,125,000 after buying an additional 118,506 shares during the period. BankPlus Trust Department boosted its stake in Valero Energy by 0.5% during the fourth quarter. BankPlus Trust Department now owns 16,222 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,641,000 after buying an additional 73 shares in the last quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 5.2% during the fourth quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 7,079 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $1,153,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the period. Finally, Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY raised its position in Valero Energy by 199.8% in the fourth quarter. Miller Howard Investments Inc. NY now owns 24,766 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $4,032,000 after acquiring an additional 16,504 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Company 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.