38,900 Shares in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Purchased by Louisiana State Employees Retirement System

Louisiana State Employees Retirement System bought a new stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 38,900 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $1,462,000.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $1,049,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $229,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $57,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $31,165,000. Finally, Allworth Financial LP boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 10.0% during the 4th quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 4,889 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $184,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV remained flat at $41.19 during mid-day trading on Friday. The stock had a trading volume of 985,801 shares, compared to its average volume of 855,608. Valvoline Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $29.15 and a fifty-two week high of $45.37. The company has a quick ratio of 2.14, a current ratio of 2.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02. The stock's fifty day moving average price is $42.68 and its 200-day moving average price is $37.43. The stock has a market cap of $5.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.12 and a beta of 1.44.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.29. Valvoline had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 92.04%. The business had revenue of $373.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $380.10 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.16 EPS. Valvoline's quarterly revenue was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Valvoline from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on Valvoline from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. Mizuho initiated coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a "buy" rating and a $50.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised Valvoline from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $37.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.75.

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.