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

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

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

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have weighed in on VVV. Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down previously from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Finally, TD Securities began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set 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 given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.33.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV traded up $0.44 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $34.05. 499,632 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,413,434. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $4.33 billion, a PE ratio of 16.29 and a beta of 1.20. Valvoline Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $31.02 and a fifty-two week high of $48.27. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.37 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.65.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly 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 return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.38 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 earnings per share. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal 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.