Natixis Advisors LLC Has $17.03 Million Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Natixis Advisors LLC boosted its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 11.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 470,651 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,662 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $17,029,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $77,000. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $97,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho decreased their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Four equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.40.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $35.91 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.90 and a 12 month high of $48.27. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $36.81 and a 200-day moving average of $38.84. The company has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.18 and a beta of 1.48.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its 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 return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

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.