Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Natixis Advisors LLC

Key Points

• Natixis Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Valvoline by 3.7% during the first quarter, selling 17,609 shares, and now owns approximately 0.36% of the company.
• Valvoline missed analysts' consensus earnings estimates for the quarter, reporting $0.34 earnings per share against an expected $0.36.
• Several institutional investors have recently adjusted their holdings in Valvoline, with IFP Advisors Inc increasing their stake by 24.9% during the same period.

Natixis Advisors LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 3.7% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 453,042 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 17,609 shares during the quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC owned about 0.36% of Valvoline worth $15,770,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% during 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 purchasing an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 11.1% during 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 period. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 653.5% during 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 period. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,051,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Trading Up 2.1%

Valvoline stock traded up $0.79 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $38.70. The stock had a trading volume of 2,202,047 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,757,338. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $31.01 and a 52-week high of $43.74. The firm has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.78 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a fifty day moving average of $36.79 and a 200 day moving average of $35.95.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The firm had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VVV. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price objective (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.31.

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.