GAMMA Investing LLC Has $61,000 Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 46.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $61,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of VVV. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Mather Group LLC. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares in the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 176.9% in the first quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,886 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 1,205 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 46.6% during the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,698 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $117,000 after buying an additional 858 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $42.42 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. The company has a market capitalization of $5.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.67 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.15 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $40.92 and a 200-day moving average of $42.12.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $421.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 182.88%. Valvoline’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.43 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.53 EPS for the current year.

Valvoline announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, July 30th that permits the company to buyback $400.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the basic materials company to buy up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on VVV shares. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup raised their price objective on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Stephens assumed coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Valvoline presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $47.75.

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.