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

Alps Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund acquired 9,940 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $346,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at about $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% in 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 buying an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its holdings in shares of 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 boosted its holdings in shares of 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 acquired a new stake in shares of 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 Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently commented on VVV. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded 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. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, TD Securities initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Five equities research 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.54.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $36.24. The stock had a trading volume of 2,236,363 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,534,076. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $31.02 and a 12 month high of $47.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.61 billion, a PE ratio of 22.80 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $36.34 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.93.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 106.36% and a net margin of 15.97%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.37 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate 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.