Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Bought by Confluence Investment Management LLC

Confluence Investment Management LLC raised its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 101.4% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 506,205 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 254,814 shares during the quarter. Confluence Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $17,621,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $73,000. Finally, Atala Financial Inc acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $77,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently commented on VVV. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price 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. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. TD Securities began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. TD Cowen began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Four 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.33.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were purchased 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 owns 46,614 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock opened at $34.20 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $34.19 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $36.37. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $31.02 and a 12-month high of $48.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The company has a market cap of $4.35 billion, a PE ratio of 16.36 and a beta of 1.20.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. The firm had revenue of $403.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $405.38 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.37 EPS. Valvoline’s revenue was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

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.