Aquatic Capital Management LLC Grows Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Aquatic Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 145.4% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 19,631 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,631 shares during the period. Aquatic Capital Management LLC's holdings in Valvoline were worth $710,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 814 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 466.7% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Price Performance

Valvoline stock traded up $0.26 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $34.02. 1,404,602 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,382,862. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.63 and a 200-day simple moving average of $37.24. The firm has a market cap of $4.32 billion, a PE ratio of 16.28 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.02 and a 12 month high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.67.

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.