Retirement Systems of Alabama Sells 115,496 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Retirement Systems of Alabama cut its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 42.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 156,542 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 115,496 shares during the quarter. Retirement Systems of Alabama owned approximately 0.12% of Valvoline worth $6,551,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of VVV. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position 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 acquiring an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Trading Down 2.6 %

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $36.78 on Thursday. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $40.47 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.70 and a beta of 1.43. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.86 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on VVV. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” 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 given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $46.25.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.34% of the company’s stock.

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.