Alua Capital Management LP Raises Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Alua Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 5.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 175,848 shares during the period. Valvoline makes up about 8.1% of Alua Capital Management LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 4th largest position. Alua Capital Management LP owned about 2.81% of Valvoline worth $130,439,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the business. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI grew its stake in Valvoline by 35.1% during the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $152,726,000 after buying an additional 1,096,486 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after buying an additional 1,080,114 shares in the last quarter. Champlain Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,051,000. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 697.1% in the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,058,267 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $38,288,000 after acquiring an additional 925,504 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Finally, TD Securities started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.67.

Valvoline Stock Down 1.7 %

VVV traded down $0.59 on Wednesday, hitting $34.47. 1,766,646 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,386,825. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $31.02 and a 12 month high of $48.27. The company has a market cap of $4.38 billion, a PE ratio of 16.49 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.70. The stock's fifty day moving average is $34.55 and its 200-day moving average is $37.14.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share 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%. Equities research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.