Holocene Advisors LP Acquires 47,134 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Holocene Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 260.8% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 65,208 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 47,134 shares during the quarter. Holocene Advisors LP’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $2,729,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in Valvoline by 57.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Mather Group LLC. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares during the period. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at $41,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VVV has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. Baird R W raised Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.25.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.34% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $38.04 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $41.72. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.48 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Valvoline Inc. has a one year low of $33.86 and a one year high of $48.26.

About Valvoline

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.