Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Holdings Raised by Raymond James & Associates

Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 10.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 199,152 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 19,091 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates owned 0.15% of Valvoline worth $8,335,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in Valvoline by 57.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $41.62 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $41.22 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.03. The company has a market cap of $5.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.03 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 company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). Valvoline had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 182.88%. The business had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.17 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Tuesday, July 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $400.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the basic materials company to repurchase up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.