VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al Takes Position in Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Virginia Retirement Systems acquired a new stake in Valvoline during Q2, purchasing 17,700 shares valued at approximately $670,000.
• Insider trading activity was noted as CFO J. Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares at an average cost of $39.41, increasing his position significantly.
• Valvoline received upgrades from multiple analysts, with target prices lifted, indicating a current average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a target price of $42.62.

VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 17,700 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $670,000.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VVV. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 101.5% during 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. Diversified Trust Co increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 19.7% during the first quarter. Diversified Trust Co now owns 12,632 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $440,000 after purchasing an additional 2,082 shares during the period. Peregrine Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 3.5% during the first quarter. Peregrine Capital Management LLC now owns 211,880 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $7,376,000 after acquiring an additional 7,123 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in Valvoline during the first quarter worth about $620,000. Finally, OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the first quarter worth about $248,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, 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 cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $501,492.25. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c+)" rating on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday. Stephens lifted their target price on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.62.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.3%

NYSE:VVV opened at $33.73 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $31.01 and a 1-year high of $43.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.69 and a beta of 1.18. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $37.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.41.

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 analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 84.85% and a net margin of 16.43%.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 company posted $0.45 EPS. Valvoline's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. This story was reviewed by MarketBeat's editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.