Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Hantz Financial Services Inc.

Hantz Financial Services Inc. lowered its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 15.4% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 189,622 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 34,451 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $6,861,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VVV. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in Valvoline by 92.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% during the fourth 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 last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This trade represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have issued reports on VVV shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Stephens started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.89.

Valvoline Stock Up 0.6 %

VVV opened at $37.36 on Thursday. 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 12 month low of $33.86 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.06 and a beta of 1.45. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.27 and a 200-day simple moving average of $40.32.

Valvoline Company 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.