Valvoline $VVV Shares Sold by Wellington Management Group LLP

Key Points

• Wellington Management Group LLP sold 107,707 shares of Valvoline, decreasing its ownership by 8.3%, and now holds approximately 1,191,951 shares valued at around $41.5 million.
• CEO Lori Ann Flees and CFO J. Kevin Willis recently made significant purchases of the company's stock, acquiring 3,000 and 12,725 shares, respectively, indicating insider confidence in the company's performance.
• Valvoline's stock received various analyst upgrades, with Goldman Sachs raising its rating from "hold" to "buy" and increasing the price target from $40.00 to $45.00, reflecting optimistic sentiment in the market.

Wellington Management Group LLP decreased its stake in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 8.3% in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,191,951 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 107,707 shares during the quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP owned approximately 0.94% of Valvoline worth $41,492,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Boston Partners purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at about $82,748,000. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 653.5% during the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,508,000 after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the period. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. increased its position in Valvoline by 144.6% during the 1st quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 1,224,420 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $42,622,000 after purchasing an additional 723,938 shares during the period. Nuveen LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at about $21,756,000. Finally, Adage Capital Partners GP L.L.C. purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at about $20,804,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of a number of research reports. Cfra Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price objective (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted 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. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.31.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 12,725 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.4%

NYSE VVV traded down $0.56 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $39.07. The company had a trading volume of 473,390 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,725,140. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $37.81 and a 200 day moving average of $36.18. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $31.01 and a 1-year high of $43.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.17 and a beta of 1.17.

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

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.