Man Group plc Acquires 328,180 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Man Group plc grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 180.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 509,844 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 328,180 shares during the quarter. Man Group plc owned approximately 0.40% of Valvoline worth $18,446,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank increased its stake in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at $36,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at $73,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at about $77,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price 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. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, TD Securities began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.33.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE VVV traded up $0.53 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $35.49. The company had a trading volume of 2,088,301 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,413,992. The firm has a market cap of $4.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98 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. Valvoline Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.02 and a fifty-two week high of $48.27. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.39 and a 200-day simple moving average of $36.68.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 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%. The business had revenue of $403.20 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.38 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.37 earnings per share. Valvoline's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Valvoline 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.