Alberta Investment Management Corp Acquires New Shares in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Key Points

• Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired 16,539 shares of Valvoline, representing a new investment valued at approximately $576,000.
• A number of institutional investors, including Mawer Investment Management Ltd. and Fiera Capital Corp, significantly increased their holdings in Valvoline during the first quarter.
• Valvoline reported earnings of $0.34 per share for the most recent quarter, missing analyst estimates, with revenues slightly below expectations as well.

Alberta Investment Management Corp purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 16,539 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $576,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the period. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter valued at about $35,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the first quarter worth about $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 221.8% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth about $49,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Valvoline stock traded up $1.61 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $37.86. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,074,179 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,759,877. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The company has a market cap of $4.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.38 and a beta of 1.17. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $31.01 and a 1-year high of $43.74. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $36.79 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.95.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $436.35 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VVV has been the topic of several research reports. Stephens boosted their target price on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Five research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.15.

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.