Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Shares Purchased by Private Advisor Group LLC

Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 47.1% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 9,084 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 2,910 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $316,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Valvoline by 1.3% in the 4th quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 21,425 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $775,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares during the period. Advisory Research Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.7% during the fourth quarter. Advisory Research Inc. now owns 41,045 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,485,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 56,792 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,055,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares during the period. Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 4.2% in the first quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 9,544 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $332,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Valvoline by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,773 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $607,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at $1,574,620.92. This represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $35.22 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $36.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.10 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $31.01 and a 52-week high of $47.08.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 106.36% and a net margin of 15.97%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VVV. Piper Sandler reissued an “overweight” rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. TD Securities assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.15.

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.