Polymer Capital Management US LLC Buys Shares of 11,261 Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Polymer Capital Management US LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 11,261 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $407,000.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VVV. Huntington National Bank increased its position in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 466.7% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth about $49,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $73,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock opened at $34.57 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $36.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.39 billion, a PE ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 1.32. 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 Inc. has a one year low of $32.99 and a one year high of $48.27.

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

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VVV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. TD Securities started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.67.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

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.