Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec Boosts Position in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• The Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec increased its holdings in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 8.3% in the first quarter, owning a total of 117,418 shares valued at approximately $4,087,000.
• Valvoline reported earnings of $0.47 per share, exceeding expectations, with revenues of $439 million, marking a 4.2% increase year-over-year.
• Institutional investors control 96.13% of Valvoline's stock, and analysts have a favorable outlook, with many recommending a Moderate Buy rating.

Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec increased its stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 8.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 117,418 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 8,986 shares during the quarter. Federation des caisses Desjardins du Quebec owned 0.09% of Valvoline worth $4,087,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in VVV. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI grew its stake in Valvoline by 13.0% in the 1st quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,769,346 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $166,021,000 after acquiring an additional 548,071 shares during the last quarter. Boston Partners acquired a new position in Valvoline during the first quarter worth about $82,748,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 29.7% in the first quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 2,045,198 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $71,193,000 after purchasing an additional 467,885 shares in the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 2,033,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $73,572,000 after purchasing an additional 13,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1.8% in the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,673,073 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $58,240,000 after purchasing an additional 30,319 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of Valvoline stock traded down $0.15 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $39.61. 312,301 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,715,171. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $43.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.46 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $38.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.15. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts' expectations of $436.35 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related 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 acquired at an average cost of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $501,492.25. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts have issued reports on VVV shares. Zacks Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Sunday. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Cfra Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.77.

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.