Leeward Investments LLC MA Has $17.26 Million Stake in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Leeward Investments LLC MA increased its Valvoline stake by 11.9% in the fourth quarter, ending with 593,914 shares valued at about $17.26 million.
• Institutional ownership in Valvoline remains very high at 96.13%, with several major funds including Vanguard, Boston Partners, and others also adding to their positions.
• Valvoline reported better-than-expected earnings for the quarter, but analysts are mixed: the stock carries a Moderate Buy consensus with an average price target of $41.36.

Leeward Investments LLC MA boosted its position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 11.9% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 593,914 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 63,353 shares during the period. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned approximately 0.47% of Valvoline worth $17,259,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Valvoline by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,323,516 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $358,121,000 after buying an additional 94,813 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners grew its stake in Valvoline by 39.2% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,537,621 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $198,835,000 after buying an additional 1,560,328 shares in the last quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP grew its stake in Valvoline by 14.4% during the third quarter. Cooke & Bieler LP now owns 3,337,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $119,832,000 after buying an additional 419,094 shares in the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP grew its stake in Valvoline by 47.5% during the second quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 3,000,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $113,610,000 after buying an additional 966,500 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its stake in Valvoline by 18.1% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 2,699,938 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $78,460,000 after buying an additional 413,520 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valvoline from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut shares of Valvoline from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and increased their target price for the stock from $30.00 to $35.00 in a report on Thursday, February 12th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of Valvoline from a "sell (d+)" rating to a "hold (c-)" rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, Mizuho set a $40.00 target price on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $41.36.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 4,312 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.55, for a total value of $166,227.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 17,979 shares in the company, valued at $693,090.45. This trade represents a 19.34% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Valvoline Stock Up 1.1%

VVV stock opened at $32.44 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.43 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $28.50 and a 12 month high of $41.33. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $33.84 and a 200-day moving average price of $33.14.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $503.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $495.67 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 5.03% and a return on equity of 66.54%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 25.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.34 earnings per share. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline Profile

Valvoline NYSE: VVV is a leading global producer and distributor of automotive and industrial lubricants. The company's portfolio spans engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, coolants and driveline products, all designed to help improve vehicle performance and longevity. Valvoline's products are marketed under the Valvoline®, Valvoline NextGen® and Valvoline™ SynPower® brand names and are formulated to meet the stringent requirements of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy‐duty vehicles and off‐road applications.

In addition to its core lubricant business, Valvoline operates one of North America's largest quick‐lubricant service networks through Valvoline Instant Oil Change℠ (VIOC).

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