Oak Thistle LLC Purchases 13,808 Shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Oak Thistle LLC lifted its position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 68.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 33,925 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 13,808 shares during the quarter. Oak Thistle LLC's holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,181,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,893,648 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $466,492,000 after purchasing an additional 101,834 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in Valvoline by 11.1% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $391,405,000 after acquiring an additional 1,080,114 shares during the period. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $152,726,000 after buying an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Alua Capital Management LP boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $130,439,000 after buying an additional 175,848 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $94,362,000 after buying an additional 6,871 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE:VVV traded up $0.42 on Friday, hitting $35.87. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,654,040 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,740,569. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $36.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.41 and a beta of 1.18. Valvoline has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $47.08.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The firm had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.37 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VVV. TD Securities began coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price target for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.54.

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.