Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) Price Target Cut to $151.00 by Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) had its price objective decreased by analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $172.00 to $151.00 in a report issued on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the oil and gas company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential upside of 4.86% from the company’s previous close.

Other analysts have also issued research reports about the company. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 16th. Barclays dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, July 9th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on Valero Energy from $175.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, September 16th. Scotiabank increased their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $173.00 and gave the stock a “sector outperform” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $172.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $165.21.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $144.00 on Wednesday. Valero Energy has a 52 week low of $119.88 and a 52 week high of $184.79. The company has a market capitalization of $47.09 billion, a PE ratio of 7.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 1.40. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $143.01 and its two-hundred day moving average is $154.05. The company has a quick ratio of 1.04, a current ratio of 1.48 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, July 25th. The oil and gas company reported $2.71 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.60 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $34.49 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $32.97 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 4.25% and a return on equity of 21.01%. The firm’s revenue was down .1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $5.40 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Valero Energy will post 10.26 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valero Energy

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VLO. Acadian Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Valero Energy by 37.6% during the 1st quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 1,558,750 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $266,040,000 after purchasing an additional 426,093 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Valero Energy by 5.8% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,319,436 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $677,007,000 after acquiring an additional 237,347 shares during the period. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy by 17.6% during the 2nd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 1,550,010 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $238,841,000 after purchasing an additional 232,494 shares during the last quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at about $39,517,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 20.5% in the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,145,117 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $179,490,000 after purchasing an additional 194,974 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.