Inspire Investing LLC Increases Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Inspire Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 11.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 12,234 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 1,265 shares during the period. Inspire Investing LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $443,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in Valvoline by 16.8% during the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $407,541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,398,310 shares in the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP grew its stake in Valvoline by 187.6% during the second quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 1,879,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $81,194,000 after acquiring an additional 1,226,000 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp purchased a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $25,538,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at $17,340,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Trading Up 1.7 %

NYSE VVV opened at $37.03 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $4.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.86 and a beta of 1.45. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.50 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $40.53. Valvoline Inc. has a one year low of $33.86 and a one year high of $48.26.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.89.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. The trade was a 6.96 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 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.