Nuveen LLC Buys Shares of 624,987 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 Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 624,987 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $21,756,000. Nuveen LLC owned approximately 0.49% of Valvoline as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Barclays PLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 271.0% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 198,785 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $7,192,000 after acquiring an additional 145,205 shares during the last quarter. Mariner LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 3.7% in the 4th quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 16,793 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $608,000 after acquiring an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 14.2% in the 4th quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 55,705 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,015,000 after acquiring an additional 6,912 shares during the last quarter. GeoWealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth $101,000. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $94,362,000 after acquiring an additional 6,871 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Stephens raised their price objective on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.31.

Valvoline Trading Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded up $0.9680 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $39.8480. 857,417 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,785,644. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $37.63 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The stock has a market cap of $5.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 1.17. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two week high of $43.74.

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

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at $501,492.25. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at $1,574,620.92. This represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

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.