Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC Boosts Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 3.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 45,781 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 1,727 shares during the period. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,720,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. CWM LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 127.1% in the third quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 820 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 123.0% in the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 18,564 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $599,000 after acquiring an additional 10,241 shares during the last quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth $527,000. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth $387,000. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 3.5% in the third quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 12,738 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $411,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV traded up $0.46 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $42.69. The company had a trading volume of 342,401 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,161,532. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $42.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.24. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.15 and a 12 month high of $45.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.31 and a beta of 1.44.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.29. Valvoline had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 92.04%. The firm had revenue of $373.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $380.10 million. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.16 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Valvoline from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley raised Valvoline from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $37.00 to $44.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Mizuho initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Citigroup upped their price target on Valvoline from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.75.

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.