FORA Capital LLC Has $822,000 Stock Position in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• FORA Capital LLC significantly reduced its stake in Valvoline by 39.7%, selling 15,527 shares during the 1st quarter, leaving it with 23,613 shares valued at approximately $822,000.
• Increased investment has been seen from other major investors, with Fiduciary Management Inc. WI boosting their stake in Valvoline by 13.0% during the same quarter.
• Valvoline reported an earnings per share of $0.47 for the last quarter, slightly surpassing analysts' expectations, with revenue increasing by 4.2% year-over-year to $439 million.

FORA Capital LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 39.7% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 23,613 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 15,527 shares during the period. FORA Capital LLC's holdings in Valvoline were worth $822,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the first quarter valued at about $35,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new position in Valvoline during the first quarter valued at about $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 221.8% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the period. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 50.8% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 145.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 907 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis acquired 12,725 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost 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. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.0%

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.39 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $38.67. The company had a trading volume of 1,527,090 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,664,197. The company has a 50 day moving average of $37.89 and a 200 day moving average of $36.13. 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 firm has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.99 and a beta of 1.17. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $31.01 and a 1-year high of $43.74.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, beating 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 business had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $436.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the topic of several analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Stephens upped their price objective on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price objective (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.31.

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.