Valero initiated with an Overweight at Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo analyst Sam Margolin initiated coverage of Valero with an Overweight rating and $216 price target The firm rolled out coverage on the global integrated oil, Canadian majors, and refiners group, saying “everyone is bearish” on oil and energy names, which creates opportunities. Wells is picking stocks based on return of capital direction. Demand indicators are soft but U.S. onshore activity trends present a supply counter-balance, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm believes return of capital direction drives relative performance in the sector. It expects Chevron (CVX), Marathon Petroleum (MPC), Valero Energy (VLO), Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ), and Suncor Energy (SU) to remain leaders in dividend growth “across an array of commodity scenarios.”