Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Holdings Lifted by AlphaQuest LLC

AlphaQuest LLC grew its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 3.3% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 43,092 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 1,381 shares during the period. AlphaQuest LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,559,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Valvoline by 90.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,538 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at approximately $97,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV opened at $35.22 on Monday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $36.89 and its 200-day moving average is $39.17. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.90 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The firm has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.85 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. Equities analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages recently commented on VVV. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.40.

Valvoline Profile

Valvoline Inc engages in the operation and franchising of vehicle service centers and retail stores in the United States and Canada. The company, through its service centers, provides fluid exchange for motor oil, transmission and differential fluid, and coolant; parts replacement for batteries, filters, wiper blades, and belts; and safety services, such as tire inflation and rotation, bulbs, and safety checks.