260,362 Shares in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Purchased by Raymond James Financial Inc.

Raymond James Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 260,362 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,420,000. Raymond James Financial Inc. owned 0.20% of Valvoline at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Valvoline by 90.5% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,538 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 1,206 shares during the period. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at about $97,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.9 %

NYSE VVV opened at $35.28 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The firm has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a PE ratio of 16.88 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $36.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.75. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.90 and a 52 week high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the company’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 transaction of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VVV has been the subject of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.40.

About Valvoline

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.