Caxton Associates LLP Buys New Shares in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Caxton Associates LLP invested approximately $1.66 million in Valvoline by acquiring 47,566 shares in the first quarter.
• Several brokerages have upgraded Valvoline's rating, with Goldman Sachs raising its price target from $40.00 to $45.00, reflecting positive market sentiment.
• Valvoline reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $0.47, slightly exceeding analyst estimates and showing a 4.2% increase in revenue year-over-year.

Caxton Associates LLP bought a new stake in shares of 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 institutional investor bought 47,566 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,656,000.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at about $35,000. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Valvoline by 221.8% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Valvoline by 50.8% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Valvoline by 145.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $53,000 after purchasing an additional 907 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VVV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Stephens boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Piper Sandler upped their target price on Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.77.

Valvoline Price Performance

NYSE VVV traded up $1.19 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $40.56. The stock had a trading volume of 1,774,026 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,388,769. The firm's 50 day moving average is $38.10 and its 200 day moving average is $36.20. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $43.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.87 and a beta of 1.21.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 84.85% and a net margin of 16.43%.The firm had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. The firm's revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 12,725 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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.