SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC Sells 892 Shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO)

SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 6.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,762 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 892 shares during the period. SeaCrest Wealth Management LLC’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $1,646,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of VLO. Blair William & Co. IL lifted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 1.9% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 33,427 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $3,394,000 after purchasing an additional 632 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in Valero Energy by 21.7% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 100,006 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $10,163,000 after buying an additional 17,844 shares in the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board grew its holdings in Valero Energy by 12.5% in the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 60,730 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock valued at $6,167,000 after buying an additional 6,735 shares in the last quarter. Prudential PLC purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy during the 1st quarter worth $1,253,000. Finally, Moors & Cabot Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 21.0% during the first quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 6,780 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock worth $688,000 after purchasing an additional 1,179 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.69% of the company’s stock.

Valero Energy Price Performance

VLO stock traded up $2.88 on Thursday, reaching $170.69. 3,316,640 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,478,984. The firm has a market cap of $56.75 billion, a PE ratio of 6.90, a P/E/G ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.53. Valero Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $104.18 and a twelve month high of $172.46. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $145.77 and a 200-day moving average of $135.75. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The oil and gas company reported $3.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.95 by $0.60. Valero Energy had a net margin of 6.10% and a return on equity of 31.62%. The company had revenue of $35.41 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $34.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $8.45 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts predict that Valero Energy Co. will post 15.66 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Increases Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 1st were issued a dividend of $1.07 per share. This is an increase from Valero Energy’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.02. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.51%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 31st. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 17.31%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Valero Energy from $167.00 to $197.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James increased their price target on shares of Valero Energy from $154.00 to $155.00 and gave the stock a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on Valero Energy from $130.00 to $171.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, March 22nd. Finally, Mizuho downgraded shares of Valero Energy from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $150.00 to $173.00 in a research note on Friday, March 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valero Energy currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $165.69.

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.