Janus Henderson Group PLC Trims Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Janus Henderson Group PLC trimmed its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 6.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 974,630 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 72,617 shares during the period. Janus Henderson Group PLC owned approximately 0.76% of Valvoline worth $35,262,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,893,648 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $466,492,000 after acquiring an additional 101,834 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 11.1% during the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares during the period. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $152,726,000 after purchasing an additional 1,096,486 shares during the last quarter. Alua Capital Management LP increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $130,439,000 after purchasing an additional 175,848 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $94,362,000 after purchasing an additional 6,871 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. TD Cowen started 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. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, TD Securities began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.33.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded up $0.16 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $35.12. The stock had a trading volume of 143,528 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,405,643. The business's 50 day moving average price is $34.39 and its 200 day moving average price is $36.68. Valvoline Inc. has a 1 year low of $31.02 and a 1 year high of $48.27. The company has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.80 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. The company's revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. Research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

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.