Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. Boosts Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. raised its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 71.4% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 21,582 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 8,987 shares during the quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $781,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 83.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vestor Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 3rd quarter worth about $69,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

Valvoline stock opened at $36.50 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $37.07 and a 200-day moving average of $39.52. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.90 and a 52-week high of $48.26. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.46 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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, analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have issued reports on VVV shares. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.40.

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.