Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd Purchases 27,021 Shares of Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd increased its stake in Valvoline shares by 83.7%, acquiring 27,021 additional shares and bringing its total ownership to 59,311 shares valued at $2,065,000.
• Valvoline's CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 12,725 shares at an average price of $39.41, resulting in a total investment of around $501,492.
• Equities research analysts have provided mixed ratings on Valvoline, with Wells Fargo and The Goldman Sachs Group raising their price targets, while Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock from "hold" to "sell."

Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd raised its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 83.7% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 59,311 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 27,021 shares during the period. Dynamic Technology Lab Private Ltd's holdings in Valvoline were worth $2,065,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in VVV. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter worth approximately $82,748,000. Millennium Management LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 315.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,510,338 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $52,575,000 after acquiring an additional 1,146,728 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC grew its stake in Valvoline by 653.5% during the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,508,000 after buying an additional 994,988 shares during the last quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth $25,985,000. Finally, Mawer Investment Management Ltd. boosted its position in Valvoline by 144.6% during the 1st quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,224,420 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $42,622,000 after acquiring an additional 723,938 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VVV has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Stephens upped their price target on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Piper Sandler raised their price target on Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.77.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.8%

VVV traded down $0.32 during trading on Friday, reaching $40.24. 300,692 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,719,620. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.11 billion, a PE ratio of 18.71 and a beta of 1.21. The stock's 50-day moving average is $38.10 and its 200 day moving average is $36.20. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $31.01 and a 12 month high of $43.74.

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

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by 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.