Yousif Capital Management LLC Lowers Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Yousif Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 4.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 45,414 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 2,140 shares during the quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,643,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VVV. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its position in Valvoline by 16.8% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $407,541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,398,310 shares during the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at approximately $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp bought a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at approximately $25,538,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $17,340,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in Valvoline by 438.7% during the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 308,699 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $12,919,000 after acquiring an additional 251,398 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV stock opened at $39.63 on Thursday. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $37.04 and a 200 day moving average of $39.76. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.90 and a 52 week high of $48.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.08 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.96 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on VVV shares. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.11.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.