Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Director Acquires $395,000.00 in Stock

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.70 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $38.79. 1,288,852 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,202,633. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The company has a market capitalization of $5.00 billion, a PE ratio of 24.38 and a beta of 1.46. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.31 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.87. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Tidal Investments LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 20.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 54,364 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,275,000 after acquiring an additional 9,089 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 25.5% during the third quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC now owns 9,060 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 1,838 shares during the period. Invst LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 3.7% in the third quarter. Invst LLC now owns 15,931 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $667,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 11.8% during the 3rd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 7,209 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 2.5% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VVV has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Baird R W raised shares of Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Mizuho decreased their target price on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $46.25.

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.