Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Royce & Associates LP

Royce & Associates LP lessened its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 4.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 1,207,730 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 54,563 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP owned about 0.95% of Valvoline worth $42,041,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 1,096,486 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in Valvoline by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 653.5% during the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,508,000 after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $35,051,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Down 3.2%

VVV stock traded down $1.19 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $35.85. 425,874 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,727,142. The company has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a PE ratio of 17.42 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $31.01 and a twelve month high of $47.08. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.57 and a 200 day simple moving average of $35.95.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $403.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 106.36% and a net margin of 15.97%. Valvoline's revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.37 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently commented on VVV shares. TD Securities started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Finally, Cfra Research upgraded shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.54.

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.

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