Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC Purchases 273 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,258 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after purchasing an additional 273 shares during the quarter. Independent Solutions Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,790,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fifth Third Bancorp boosted its position in Valero Energy by 2.5% during the second quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 14,060 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $2,204,000 after purchasing an additional 347 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. raised its position in Valero Energy by 0.9% during the second quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 21,675 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $3,398,000 after acquiring an additional 194 shares in the last quarter. &PARTNERS acquired a new stake in Valero Energy in the second quarter valued at $460,000. Catalina Capital Group LLC grew its position in shares of Valero Energy by 25.8% in the 2nd quarter. Catalina Capital Group LLC now owns 2,215 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $347,000 after acquiring an additional 454 shares during the period. Finally, Everhart Financial Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valero Energy by 5.5% in the 2nd quarter. Everhart Financial Group Inc. now owns 1,366 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $214,000 after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Valero Energy stock traded down $3.61 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $118.13. 1,989,970 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,911,868. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.57 and a quick ratio of 1.11. Valero Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $117.14 and a 12 month high of $184.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $37.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.59, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.39. The business has a 50 day moving average of $135.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $142.63.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $32.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $7.49 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a dividend of $1.07 per share. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.62%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VLO. Barclays lowered their price target on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $149.00 to $131.00 and set a “sell” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $171.00 to $165.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, October 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $155.07.

About Valero Energy

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.