GSA Capital Partners LLP Takes Position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 24,844 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $865,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VVV. IFP Advisors Inc raised its stake in Valvoline by 24.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,832 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 101.5% in the 1st quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,170 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 1,093 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 1.7% during the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 46,208 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,608,000 after buying an additional 794 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth $496,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Valvoline by 145.4% in the first quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 907 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. TD Cowen started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. TD Securities began coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Stephens upped their target price on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.15.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV stock opened at $35.02 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $45.28. The firm has a market cap of $4.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.00 and a beta of 1.17. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $36.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $35.97.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 106.36% and a net margin of 15.97%. The business’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share 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.