Trexquant Investment LP Sells 100,442 Shares of Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Trexquant Investment LP has significantly reduced its stake in Valvoline by 65.0%, now holding 54,188 shares valued at approximately $1.89 million.
• The stock has gained attention from analysts, with Goldman Sachs upgrading Valvoline to a "buy" rating and raising the price target from $40.00 to $45.00.
• Valvoline reported a 4.2% increase in revenue year-over-year, achieving $439 million for the quarter while beating the earnings per share estimate.

Trexquant Investment LP lowered its stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 65.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 54,188 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 100,442 shares during the quarter. Trexquant Investment LP's holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,886,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth approximately $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in Valvoline by 221.8% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its position in Valvoline by 50.8% during the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $50,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in Valvoline by 145.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 907 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on VVV shares. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Sunday. Zacks Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, Stephens upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.77.

Valvoline Price Performance

Valvoline stock traded down $0.47 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $39.52. The company's stock had a trading volume of 814,064 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,715,515. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $38.07 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.13. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $31.01 and a 52 week high of $43.74. The stock has a market cap of $5.02 billion, a PE ratio of 18.37 and a beta of 1.21. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37.

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

Valvoline 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.