Snyder Capital Management L P Sells 29,928 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Snyder Capital Management L P lessened its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 4.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 649,544 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 29,928 shares during the period. Snyder Capital Management L P owned about 0.51% of Valvoline worth $23,501,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth approximately $36,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently weighed in on VVV shares. TD Securities initiated coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on 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 dropped their price target on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday. Mizuho cut their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Four equities research 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.67.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 directly owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Valvoline stock traded down $0.26 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $33.83. 369,184 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,373,246. The firm has a market cap of $4.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.19 and a beta of 1.32. 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 stock has a 50-day moving average of $34.80 and a 200 day moving average of $37.40. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.02 and a 12 month high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

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.