Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Janus Henderson Group PLC

Janus Henderson Group PLC decreased its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 7.0% in the 1st quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 1,135,916 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 85,258 shares during the quarter. Janus Henderson Group PLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $50,627,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Park Place Capital Corp purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, Fifth Third Bancorp lifted its position in Valvoline by 20.3% during the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,876 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 316 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV stock traded down $0.70 during trading on Tuesday, hitting $45.19. 1,466,437 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,167,752. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.83. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.15 and a 52 week high of $48.26. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $42.80 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.82. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.29 and a beta of 1.44.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.36 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $388.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.75 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 11.78% and a return on equity of 136.59%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.23 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $48.00 target price on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, June 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Wednesday, June 12th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.25.

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.