Valvoline $VVV Shares Sold by Newport Trust Company LLC

Key Points

• Newport Trust Company LLC reduced its stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 2.8% in Q1, owning 1,570,177 shares after selling 44,465 shares, worth approximately $54.7 million.
• Several institutional investors have increased their positions in Valvoline, with Barclays PLC boosting its holdings by 271% in the previous quarter to 198,785 shares.
• Valvoline's stock has been upgraded by various analysts, with Goldman Sachs raising its target price from $40 to $45 and nine investment analysts rating the stock as a Buy.

Newport Trust Company LLC decreased its position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 2.8% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,570,177 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 44,465 shares during the quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC owned approximately 1.24% of Valvoline worth $54,658,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of VVV. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 1st quarter valued at $35,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 50.8% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 145.4% in the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 907 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Trading Up 2.5%

VVV traded up $0.9680 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $39.8480. 857,417 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,745,813. The firm's fifty day moving average is $37.63 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.12. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $31.01 and a 1-year high of $43.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The company has a market cap of $5.07 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 1.17.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 84.85% and a net margin of 16.43%.The firm had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $436.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. Valvoline's revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 12,725 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were bought at an average price of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VVV shares. Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.31.

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.