Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Bought by South Dakota Investment Council

South Dakota Investment Council lifted its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 157.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 102,955 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 62,955 shares during the quarter. South Dakota Investment Council owned 0.08% of Valvoline worth $3,725,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 71.4% in the 4th quarter. Hudson Edge Investment Partners Inc. now owns 21,582 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $781,000 after purchasing an additional 8,987 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $223,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 766.6% during the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 644,980 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $23,335,000 after acquiring an additional 570,550 shares during the period. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 18.5% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Investment Management LLC now owns 11,695 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $423,000 after acquiring an additional 1,829 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,523,285.92. This trade represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were 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 of the company’s stock, valued at $598,240. The trade was 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 corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VVV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price 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. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.40.

Valvoline Price Performance

Valvoline stock opened at $36.50 on Monday. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.90 and a 52 week high of $48.26. 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’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.45. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a PE ratio of 17.46 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released 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%. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.