Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Acquired by Swiss National Bank

Swiss National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 0.7% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 240,765 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 1,700 shares during the period. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $8,711,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its stake 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 last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Valvoline by 90.5% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,538 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at $97,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.9 %

Valvoline stock opened at $35.28 on Friday. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.75. Valvoline Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.90 and a fifty-two week high of $48.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.88 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction 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 sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

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.