United Services Automobile Association Invests $299,000 in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• United Services Automobile Association purchased a new stake in Valvoline, acquiring 8,505 shares valued at approximately $299,000 during the first quarter.
• Valvoline's stock reported a 0.2% decline, with a current trading price of $40.47, while the company recently posted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.47, exceeding analysts' expectations.
• Several analysts have revised Valvoline's price targets, with Wells Fargo increasing it from $42.00 to $44.00 and Piper Sandler raising it from $44.00 to $50.00, while the stock maintains a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy."

United Services Automobile Association purchased a new position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 8,505 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $299,000.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 21,425 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $775,000 after acquiring an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 4.2% in the first quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 9,544 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $332,000 after acquiring an additional 387 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.5% in the fourth quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,773 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $607,000 after acquiring an additional 409 shares in the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 7.4% in the fourth quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 6,033 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $218,000 after acquiring an additional 416 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 22,124 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $800,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on VVV. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Piper Sandler lifted their target price on Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price target on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.77.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, 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 accessible through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.6%

VVV stock traded down $0.25 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $40.29. The company had a trading volume of 298,723 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,714,443. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. The company has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74 and a beta of 1.21. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $38.20 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.30. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 84.85% and a net margin of 16.43%.The company had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $436.35 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. Valvoline's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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.