Confluence Investment Management LLC Increases Stock Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Confluence Investment Management LLC increased its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 101.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 506,205 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 254,814 shares during the period. Confluence Investment Management LLC owned 0.40% of Valvoline worth $17,621,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,893,648 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $466,492,000 after acquiring an additional 101,834 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in Valvoline by 11.1% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the period. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI grew its stake in Valvoline by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $152,726,000 after acquiring an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Alua Capital Management LP increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $130,439,000 after purchasing an additional 175,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $94,362,000 after acquiring an additional 6,871 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 46,614 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VVV. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. 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. 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 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, 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. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.33.

Valvoline Trading Up 1.9%

NYSE:VVV traded up $0.66 on Friday, hitting $34.62. The stock had a trading volume of 1,834,407 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,429,449. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $34.15 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $36.25. The stock has a market cap of $4.40 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.56 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. Valvoline Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.02 and a 1-year high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. The company's revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.