Leeward Investments LLC MA Sells 23,041 Shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Leeward Investments LLC MA lowered its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 4.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 549,878 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 23,041 shares during the period. Valvoline accounts for 1.0% of Leeward Investments LLC MA's portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned about 0.43% of Valvoline worth $19,141,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth about $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% in the fourth 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 during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its position in Valvoline by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 653.5% in the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,508,000 after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,051,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on VVV. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. TD Securities assumed coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup dropped their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price objective (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.54.

Valvoline Trading Up 2.1%

Shares of VVV stock traded up $0.83 on Friday, reaching $39.72. The company had a trading volume of 800,684 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,514,052. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. The stock has a market cap of $5.05 billion, a PE ratio of 19.28 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a 50-day moving average of $35.71 and a 200-day moving average of $35.83. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $31.02 and a 12 month high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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). Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The company had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

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.