Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 175,000 Shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. cut its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 49.9% during the 1st quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 175,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 175,000 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $6,109,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in VVV. Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $223,000. Proficio Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at $632,000. VELA Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 39.8% during the 4th quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC now owns 84,273 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,049,000 after purchasing an additional 24,001 shares during the period. Meridian Wealth Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,615 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $276,000 after purchasing an additional 408 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,642,754 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $59,435,000 after purchasing an additional 16,912 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Citigroup decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, April 28th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Finally, TD Cowen started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $42.54.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 3,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 46,614 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,574,620.92. This trade represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV opened at $38.27 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $35.22 and a 200-day moving average price of $35.82. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $31.02 and a 12-month high of $48.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.58 and a beta of 1.17.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data 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 return on equity of 106.36% and a net margin of 15.97%. The firm had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $405.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. Valvoline’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal 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.