GSA Capital Partners LLP Buys Shares of 24,844 Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Key Points

• GSA Capital Partners LLP has taken a new position in Valvoline by acquiring 24,844 shares valued at approximately $865,000 during the first quarter.
• Valvoline has received mixed ratings from analysts, with a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.15.
• CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock at an average cost of $33.78 per share, increasing her holdings by 6.88% to approximately $1.57 million in value.

GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 24,844 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $865,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its position in Valvoline by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% in the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $152,726,000 after acquiring an additional 1,096,486 shares in the last quarter. Alua Capital Management LP raised its stake in Valvoline by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $130,439,000 after buying an additional 175,848 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Valvoline by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $94,362,000 after buying an additional 6,871 shares during the period. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 29.7% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 2,045,198 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $71,193,000 after purchasing an additional 467,885 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on VVV. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. Stephens boosted 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. Citigroup dropped their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.15.

Valvoline Trading Up 3.3%

NYSE VVV traded up $1.16 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $36.53. The stock had a trading volume of 967,387 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,734,957. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.74 and a beta of 1.17. Valvoline has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $43.89. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.74 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.95.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The business had revenue of $403.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $405.38 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.37 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Company 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.