Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Trading 4.2% Higher After Insider Buying Activity

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report)'s share price traded up 4.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following insider buying activity. The company traded as high as $35.38 and last traded at $35.34. 169,909 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 88% from the average session volume of 1,419,593 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.91.

Specifically, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts recently issued reports on VVV shares. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. TD Cowen 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. 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 research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.33.

Valvoline Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $4.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.56 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $34.15 and a 200 day moving average price of $36.30.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 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 company had revenue of $403.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. Valvoline's quarterly revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Boston Partners bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the first quarter valued at approximately $82,748,000. Norges Bank bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at $54,114,000. Millennium Management LLC raised its stake in Valvoline by 315.4% during the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 1,510,338 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $52,575,000 after acquiring an additional 1,146,728 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI boosted its position in 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 worth $152,726,000 after acquiring an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Finally, Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 11.1% in the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.