Alps Advisors Inc. Purchases New Position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Alps Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 9,940 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $346,000.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its stake in Valvoline by 35.1% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $152,726,000 after purchasing an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its stake in Valvoline by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its stake in Valvoline by 653.5% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,508,000 after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the period. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,051,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VVV has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 target price (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.54.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Trading Up 0.5%

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $36.41. The stock had a trading volume of 1,257,788 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,538,762. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. The company has a market cap of $4.63 billion, a PE ratio of 17.67 and a beta of 1.18. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $31.02 and a 12-month high of $47.08. The company's 50 day moving average is $36.46 and its 200-day moving average is $35.93.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a return on equity of 106.36% and a net margin of 15.97%. The company had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $405.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.37 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

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.