Freestone Grove Partners LP Acquires New Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Freestone Grove Partners LP purchased a new position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 26,146 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $946,000.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its position in Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "equal weight" rating and set a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, TD Securities started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.67.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.25 on Thursday, reaching $34.32. 2,318,860 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,388,916. Valvoline Inc. has a 1-year low of $31.02 and a 1-year high of $48.27. The stock has a market cap of $4.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.42 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $34.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $37.12.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted 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). Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.37 EPS. The business's revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS 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.