Smith Group Asset Management LLC Buys New Stake in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Smith Group Asset Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 14,000 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,716,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in VLO. Moody Aldrich Partners LLC bought a new stake in Valero Energy during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $1,694,000. Perigon Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 64.9% during the fourth quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,879 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $598,000 after buying an additional 1,920 shares during the last quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valero Energy by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Patrick M Sweeney & Associates Inc. now owns 4,687 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $575,000 after acquiring an additional 90 shares during the period. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valero Energy in the fourth quarter worth $361,000. Finally, Nilsine Partners LLC increased its position in Valero Energy by 7.6% during the fourth quarter. Nilsine Partners LLC now owns 2,065 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $253,000 after acquiring an additional 145 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on VLO. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 9th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, October 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, October 4th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $192.00 to $176.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $154.54.

Valero Energy Stock Down 2.2 %

Shares of VLO opened at $138.14 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $43.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.39, a PEG ratio of 2.81 and a beta of 1.42. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $116.84 and a 52 week high of $184.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.57. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $131.15 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $137.71.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 3rd. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 30th will be issued a dividend of $1.13 per share. This is a boost from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.07. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, January 30th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

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.