16,909 Shares in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Acquired by Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas

Oddo BHF Asset Management Sas purchased a new position in shares of Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO - Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 16,909 shares of the oil and gas company's stock, valued at approximately $2,283,000.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in Valero Energy by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,687,585 shares of the oil and gas company's stock worth $639,268,000 after purchasing an additional 247,630 shares during the period. Synovus Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of Valero Energy by 43.6% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 20,642 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $2,787,000 after buying an additional 6,272 shares in the last quarter. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new position in Valero Energy during the third quarter worth $342,000. Arvest Bank Trust Division purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the third quarter worth $7,609,000. Finally, World Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Valero Energy by 34.7% in the third quarter. World Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,245 shares of the oil and gas company's stock valued at $573,000 after acquiring an additional 1,093 shares during the period. 78.69% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VLO has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective 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. Bank of America started coverage on shares of Valero Energy in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $150.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on Valero Energy from $172.00 to $151.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, October 2nd. Barclays dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $146.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 11th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Valero Energy from $165.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, December 9th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $155.50.

Valero Energy Trading Down 0.4 %

NYSE:VLO traded down $0.54 on Friday, reaching $129.14. The stock had a trading volume of 1,717,977 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,252,146. The company has a market cap of $40.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.43 and a beta of 1.39. Valero Energy Co. has a 12-month low of $124.02 and a 12-month high of $184.79. 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 firm's fifty day moving average is $136.27 and its two-hundred day moving average is $143.42.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. Valero Energy had a net margin of 2.74% and a return on equity of 13.07%. Valero Energy's revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $7.49 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.86 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Investors of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be paid a $1.07 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.31%. Valero Energy's payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

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.