HighTower Advisors LLC Sells 9,224 Shares of Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its position in Valvoline by 29.3% in the first quarter, owning 22,228 shares after cutting 9,224 shares.
• Valvoline reported earnings of $0.47 per share for the last quarter, exceeding expectations, with a revenue of $439 million, a 4.2% increase from the previous year.
• Goldman Sachs upgraded Valvoline from "hold" to "buy" and increased its price target from $40 to $45 as part of multiple positive analyst reviews.

HighTower Advisors LLC reduced its stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 29.3% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 22,228 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 9,224 shares during the quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC's holdings in Valvoline were worth $774,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the first quarter worth approximately $35,000. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 221.8% in the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,000 after acquiring an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 50.8% in the 1st quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $50,000 after acquiring an additional 485 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 145.4% during the 1st quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,531 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 907 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In related 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 cost of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded down $0.39 during trading on Friday, hitting $38.67. 1,527,090 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,664,197. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $31.01 and a 52-week high of $43.74. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $37.89 and its 200 day simple moving average is $36.11. The company has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.99 and a beta of 1.17.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $436.35 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 84.85% and a net margin of 16.43%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.45 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded Valvoline from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Finally, Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.31.

About Valvoline

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.