Quantbot Technologies LP Buys Shares of 72,750 Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Quantbot Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 72,750 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,045,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tidal Investments LLC increased its holdings in Valvoline by 97.6% during the 1st quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 29,843 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,330,000 after acquiring an additional 14,739 shares in the last quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 28.8% during the 2nd quarter. Oppenheimer Asset Management Inc. now owns 126,232 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $5,453,000 after acquiring an additional 28,254 shares in the last quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,130,920 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $48,857,000 after acquiring an additional 68,340 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Valvoline by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 422,989 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $17,702,000 after acquiring an additional 31,661 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Texas Permanent School Fund Corp increased its holdings in Valvoline by 22.8% during the 2nd quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 139,352 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $6,020,000 after acquiring an additional 25,885 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In related news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 acquisition, the director now owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have weighed in on the stock. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target 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. Baird R W upgraded shares of Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Valvoline has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.25.

Valvoline Price Performance

Valvoline stock opened at $40.10 on Thursday. Valvoline Inc. has a 1 year low of $33.86 and a 1 year high of $48.26. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $41.24 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.84. The company has a market cap of $5.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.75 and a beta of 1.46. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72.

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.