Sculptor Capital LP Purchases 13,000 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Sculptor Capital LP raised its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 0.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,033,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 13,000 shares during the quarter. Valvoline accounts for about 1.0% of Sculptor Capital LP's holdings, making the stock its 25th biggest holding. Sculptor Capital LP owned approximately 1.59% of Valvoline worth $73,572,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Valvoline by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,893,648 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $466,492,000 after purchasing an additional 101,834 shares in the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 1,080,114 shares during the last quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI grew its stake 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 period. Alua Capital Management LP grew its position in Valvoline by 5.1% during the fourth quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $130,439,000 after buying an additional 175,848 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its position in Valvoline by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $94,362,000 after buying an additional 6,871 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Trading Up 1.5%

NYSE:VVV traded up $0.53 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $35.49. 2,088,301 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,413,992. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $31.02 and a 12-month high of $48.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.98 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. The firm's fifty day moving average is $34.39 and its 200-day moving average is $36.68.

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VVV has been the subject of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, May 9th. Four research 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline 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 transaction of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Valvoline

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.