Nuveen LLC Takes $21.76 Million Position in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Nuveen LLC has acquired a new position in Valvoline (NYSE: VVV), purchasing 624,987 shares valued at approximately $21.76 million.
• Several hedge funds, including Squarepoint Ops LLC and Mawer Investment Management Ltd., have significantly increased their holdings in Valvoline, highlighting growing institutional interest in the company.
• Valvoline recently reported earnings of $0.47 per share, exceeding analyst expectations and showcasing a 4.2% year-over-year revenue growth.

Nuveen LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 624,987 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $21,756,000. Nuveen LLC owned about 0.49% of Valvoline as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in VVV. Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 653.5% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,508,000 after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the last quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 144.6% during the first quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,224,420 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $42,622,000 after purchasing an additional 723,938 shares during the last quarter. Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $20,804,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 29.7% during the first quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 2,045,198 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $71,193,000 after buying an additional 467,885 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fiera Capital Corp increased its holdings in Valvoline by 58.0% during the first quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 905,672 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $31,526,000 after buying an additional 332,590 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

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

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV opened at $39.64 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.44 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a fifty day moving average of $37.39 and a 200 day moving average of $36.08. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $43.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73.

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 for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $436.35 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.43% and a return on equity of 84.85%. Valvoline's quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.45 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Cfra Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Stephens upped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company 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.

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