Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC Has $23.17 Million Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC grew its stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 61.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 189,019 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 71,973 shares during the quarter. Valero Energy makes up approximately 4.1% of Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th largest holding. Semper Augustus Investments Group LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $23,172,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. increased its position in Valero Energy by 0.4% during the 4th quarter. Asset Management One Co. Ltd. now owns 123,356 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $14,751,000 after buying an additional 455 shares during the period. Hudson Capital Management LLC increased its position in Valero Energy by 6.5% during the fourth quarter. Hudson Capital Management LLC now owns 31,792 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,897,000 after acquiring an additional 1,937 shares during the period. Miracle Mile Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valero Energy during the fourth quarter worth about $274,000. Patten Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth about $277,000. Finally, Occidental Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter valued at about $319,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VLO opened at $135.33 on Friday. Valero Energy Co. has a one year low of $99.00 and a one year high of $167.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company has a market cap of $42.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.96, a PEG ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $120.83 and a 200 day simple moving average of $128.51.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The oil and gas company reported $0.89 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.16 by ($0.27). The firm had revenue of $28.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $28.54 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.13% and a return on equity of 9.58%. The firm’s revenue was down 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.82 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 7.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.34%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, May 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is 159.72%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, April 25th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valero Energy from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and upped their target price for the company from $127.00 to $154.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Valero Energy from $160.00 to $159.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 31st. Finally, Tudor Pickering raised shares of Valero Energy from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 4th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have assigned a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $151.93.

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.