Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) Shares Sold by BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.

BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lowered its holdings in Valero Energy Co. (NYSE:VLO) by 43.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 46,486 shares of the oil and gas company’s stock after selling 35,678 shares during the quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A.’s holdings in Valero Energy were worth $6,277,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. EdgeRock Capital LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Peterson Financial Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valero Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Lynx Investment Advisory purchased a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter worth $29,000. Summit Securities Group LLC acquired a new stake in Valero Energy during the second quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Pathway Financial Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Valero Energy in the first quarter valued at $33,000. 78.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on VLO. Piper Sandler lowered shares of Valero Energy from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $169.00 to $123.00 in a research note on Friday, September 20th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on Valero Energy from $145.00 to $140.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 25th. Bank of America initiated coverage on Valero Energy in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $150.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of Valero Energy from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and dropped their price target for the company from $172.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Wednesday, October 9th. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of Valero Energy from $175.00 to $171.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Valero Energy presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $155.86.

Valero Energy Stock Performance

Shares of Valero Energy stock opened at $140.91 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35. The firm has a market cap of $44.61 billion, a PE ratio of 12.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.63 and a beta of 1.39. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $136.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $145.81. Valero Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $120.21 and a 52 week high of $184.79.

Valero Energy (NYSE:VLO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, October 24th. The oil and gas company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.16. Valero Energy had a return on equity of 13.07% and a net margin of 2.74%. The company had revenue of $32.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $31.04 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $7.49 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 14.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that Valero Energy Co. will post 8.92 earnings per share for the current year.

Valero Energy Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, November 20th will be given a $1.07 dividend. This represents a $4.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.04%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, November 20th. Valero Energy’s dividend payout ratio is currently 38.39%.

Valero Energy Company 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.