Intellectus Partners LLC Grows Holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Intellectus Partners LLC increased its position in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 8.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,826 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after acquiring an additional 886 shares during the quarter. Intellectus Partners LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,430,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Valero Energy in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. Tobam purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $38,000. OFI Invest Asset Management purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Finally, Creative Capital Management Investments LLC grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 122.0% during the 4th quarter. Creative Capital Management Investments LLC now owns 333 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 183 shares in the last quarter. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valero Energy Stock Up 0.2%

NYSE:VLO opened at $126.78 on Friday. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $99.00 and a twelve month high of $167.78. The company has a market cap of $39.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.93 and a beta of 0.98. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $120.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of $127.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

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

Valero Energy Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 18th. Investors of record on Tuesday, May 20th will be issued a $1.13 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 20th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.57%. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 159.72%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $121.00 to $118.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 25th. Raymond James lowered their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $155.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $152.00 to $147.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. Scotiabank cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $156.00 to $136.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 11th. Finally, Barclays raised their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $140.00 to $141.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, May 12th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $151.93.

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.