Vanguard Group Inc. Sells 515,727 Shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Key Points

• Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its stake in Valvoline by 4.0%, now owning approximately 12.38 million shares valued at $430.87 million.
• Valvoline's earnings report showed a quarterly EPS of $0.47, slightly exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.46, with revenue up by 4.2% year-over-year.
• Several analysts have increased their price targets for Valvoline, with Wells Fargo raising it to $44.00, while maintaining an "overweight" rating.

Vanguard Group Inc. reduced its stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 4.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 12,377,921 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 515,727 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. owned approximately 9.74% of Valvoline worth $430,875,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. LPL Financial LLC boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 26.5% during the 4th quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 33,872 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,225,000 after purchasing an additional 7,097 shares in the last quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 80.2% during the 4th quarter. Advisory Services Network LLC now owns 8,980 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $325,000 after purchasing an additional 3,997 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina lifted its stake in Valvoline by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 56,792 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $2,055,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 271.0% in the fourth quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 198,785 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $7,192,000 after acquiring an additional 145,205 shares during the period. Finally, Mariner LLC increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 3.7% during the fourth quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 16,793 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $608,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CFO J Kevin Willis acquired 12,725 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.3%

VVV traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $39.27. 1,466,912 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,875,846. Valvoline has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $43.74. The company's fifty day moving average price is $37.33 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.06. The company has a market cap of $4.99 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.27 and a beta of 1.17. 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 (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts' expectations of $436.35 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. Valvoline's quarterly revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of several recent research reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Cfra Research upgraded shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised shares of Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from 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.