GAMMA Investing LLC Buys 74,461 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 6,913.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 75,538 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 74,461 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC owned 0.06% of Valvoline worth $2,629,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in 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 buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at about $73,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Price Performance

NYSE:VVV traded down $1.12 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $35.33. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,713,590 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,471,306. Valvoline Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.02 and a twelve month high of $48.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.49 and a 200-day simple moving average of $35.94. The company has a market capitalization of $4.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.90 and a beta of 1.17.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results 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 company had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. The firm's revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.37 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. TD Securities assumed coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 target price (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.54.

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.