Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Stake Lessened by Fmr LLC

Fmr LLC trimmed its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 31.4% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 4,495,402 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,057,492 shares during the quarter. Fmr LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $188,133,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.8% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $153,032,000 after purchasing an additional 100,305 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,720,748 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $117,534,000 after buying an additional 94,673 shares during the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 187.6% in the 2nd quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 1,879,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $81,194,000 after acquiring an additional 1,226,000 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,625,842 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $68,041,000 after acquiring an additional 19,877 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commerce Bank raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 1,232,013 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $51,560,000 after acquiring an additional 21,369 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. This trade represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $39.44 on Tuesday. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The company has a market cap of $5.06 billion, a PE ratio of 24.35 and a beta of 1.43. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $41.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.78. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on VVV shares. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Baird R W upgraded Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. One equities research analyst has 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.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $46.25.

Valvoline 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.