Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Acquired by VELA Investment Management LLC

VELA Investment Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 39.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 84,273 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 24,001 shares during the period. Valvoline comprises about 0.8% of VELA Investment Management LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC owned 0.07% of Valvoline worth $3,049,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Valvoline by 83.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $69,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.9 %

Shares of VVV opened at $36.65 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $37.02 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.38. The stock has a market cap of $4.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.54 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.90 and a 12 month high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating 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%. Equities analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the topic of a number of research reports. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.40.

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.