Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Shares Purchased by Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc.

Key Points

• Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Valvoline by 1.8%, now owning 1,673,073 shares worth approximately $58.24 million.
• CEO Lori Ann Flees and CFO J. Kevin Willis have both recently bought shares of Valvoline, indicating insider confidence in the company's future prospects.
• Valvoline's quarterly earnings showed a slight growth with $0.47 earnings per share, surpassing analyst expectations and revealing a 4.2% year-over-year revenue increase.

Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 1.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,673,073 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 30,319 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. owned about 1.32% of Valvoline worth $58,240,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Primecap Management Co. CA purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter valued at $944,000. Geneva Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.6% during the first quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 1,252,659 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $43,605,000 after acquiring an additional 32,206 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 30.2% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 28,101 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $978,000 after acquiring an additional 6,515 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth approximately $576,000. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 24.1% during the 1st quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 7,640 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $250,000 after purchasing an additional 1,483 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on VVV shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Citigroup lowered their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price objective (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.31.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This represents a 6.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 12,725 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,492.25. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock traded down $0.13 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $39.27. 1,466,912 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,875,846. Valvoline has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $43.74. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.06. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The company has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.27 and a beta of 1.17.

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