Gabelli Funds LLC Lowers Stake in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Gabelli Funds LLC reduced its holdings in Valvoline by 16.4%, selling 22,500 shares, and now owns approximately 114,500 shares valued at around $3.99 million.
• Institutional investors currently own 96.13% of Valvoline's stock, with Fiduciary Management Inc. WI increasing its stake by 13.0% in the first quarter.
• Valvoline's recent earnings report showed a net margin of 16.43% and a quarterly revenue increase of 4.2%, surpassing analysts' expectations.

Gabelli Funds LLC cut its stake in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 16.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 114,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 22,500 shares during the quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC owned about 0.09% of Valvoline worth $3,986,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 24.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,832 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 101.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,170 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $76,000 after acquiring an additional 1,093 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter worth about $316,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter worth about $865,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 1.7% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 46,208 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,608,000 after acquiring an additional 794 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, CFO J Kevin Willis acquired 12,725 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Down 1.0%

Valvoline stock traded down $0.39 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $38.67. 1,527,090 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,654,187. The company has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.99 and a beta of 1.21. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $43.74. 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 company has a fifty day moving average of $37.89 and a 200-day moving average of $36.11.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share 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 for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $436.35 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.45 EPS. The company's revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Stephens increased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Cfra Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price 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.