Squarepoint Ops LLC Has $41.51 Million Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Squarepoint Ops LLC raised its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 653.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 994,988 shares during the period. Squarepoint Ops LLC owned approximately 0.89% of Valvoline worth $41,508,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Barclays PLC boosted its position in Valvoline by 52.4% in the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 53,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,242,000 after purchasing an additional 18,414 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in Valvoline by 1.0% in the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,642,754 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $59,435,000 after purchasing an additional 16,912 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $223,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Valvoline by 33.7% in the fourth quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 15,909 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $576,000 after purchasing an additional 4,013 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its position in Valvoline by 24.9% in the fourth quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 8,805 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $319,000 after purchasing an additional 1,753 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on VVV shares. TD Securities started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup dropped their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $42.33.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $34.96 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.73 and a beta of 1.20. 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 stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $34.39 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $36.68. Valvoline Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.02 and a twelve month high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. Valvoline’s revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.37 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was 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 in the company, valued at $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

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.