Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Sanctuary Advisors LLC

Sanctuary Advisors LLC reduced its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 15.5% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 7,654 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 1,406 shares during the period. Sanctuary Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $289,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MAI Capital Management grew its position in Valvoline by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $486,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D grew its position in Valvoline by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 47,602 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,992,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in Valvoline by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 19,215 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $695,000 after purchasing an additional 373 shares during the period. Choreo LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.5% during the 4th quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 16,260 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $589,000 after acquiring an additional 396 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 13,871 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $581,000 after acquiring an additional 540 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $35.29 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.49 billion, a PE ratio of 16.89 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline Inc. has a twelve month low of $33.90 and a twelve month high of $48.26. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $36.98 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.28. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on VVV shares. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.40.

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.