Valvoline $VVV is VELA Investment Management LLC's 7th Largest Position

Key Points

• VELA Investment Management LLC increased its stake in Valvoline by 81.1% in the second quarter, making it the firm's 7th largest holding with approximately $7.91 million worth of shares.
• Valvoline reported a quarterly earnings per share (EPS) of $0.47, exceeding analyst estimates and marking a 4.2% revenue increase from the same quarter last year.
• Several analysts have upgraded Valvoline’s stock ratings, with target prices now ranging from $44 to $50, indicating a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating among investment analysts.

VELA Investment Management LLC lifted its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 81.1% in the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 208,970 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 93,578 shares during the quarter. Valvoline comprises about 2.1% of VELA Investment Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.16% of Valvoline worth $7,914,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 24.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,832 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 101.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,170 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,093 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter valued at about $316,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter valued at about $865,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 8.0% in the second quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,779 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $484,000 after purchasing an additional 946 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.9%

NYSE VVV opened at $34.54 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.95 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. Valvoline has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $43.74. The firm has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 1.18.

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, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.43% and a return on equity of 84.85%. The business had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $436.35 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.45 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis acquired 12,725 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Piper Sandler upped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Finally, Cfra Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.77.

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.

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