Squarepoint Ops LLC Has $41.51 Million Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 653.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned approximately 0.89% of Valvoline worth $41,508,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Huntington National Bank raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $49,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $73,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $77,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VVV has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 9th. TD Securities initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.33.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.5%

NYSE:VVV traded down $0.17 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $34.03. The stock had a trading volume of 1,277,945 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,425,376. Valvoline Inc. has a one year low of $31.02 and a one year high of $48.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.70. The company has a market cap of $4.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.28 and a beta of 1.20. The business's 50 day moving average is $34.29 and its 200-day moving average is $36.51.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. The firm had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.37 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal 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.