Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd Makes New Investment in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Key Points

• Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Valvoline, purchasing 24,988 shares valued at approximately $870,000 during the first quarter.
• Institutional investors hold a significant stake in Valvoline, owning 96.13% of the company’s stock, with major investments from firms like Norges Bank and Fiduciary Management Inc. WI in recent quarters.
• Analysts have mixed views on Valvoline's stock, with five recommending a hold, nine a buy, and a consensus price target of $42.54, reflecting cautious optimism in the market.

Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 24,988 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $870,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI increased its position in Valvoline by 35.1% in the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $152,726,000 after purchasing an additional 1,096,486 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in Valvoline by 11.1% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 653.5% in the fourth quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,508,000 after purchasing an additional 994,988 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $35,051,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on VVV. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Citigroup reduced 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. TD Securities began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price target 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. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.54.

Insider Activity

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the purchase, 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 is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Up 1.2%

NYSE VVV opened at $35.87 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. The company has a fifty day moving average of $36.62 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.41 and a beta of 1.18. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $31.01 and a 52 week high of $47.08.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $403.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.37 earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current 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.

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.