Diversified Trust Co Takes $382,000 Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Diversified Trust Co purchased a new stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor purchased 10,550 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $382,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in Valvoline by 16.8% in the 3rd 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 during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $171,436,000 after purchasing an additional 16,916 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.8% in the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $153,032,000 after purchasing an additional 100,305 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 3.6% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,720,748 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $117,534,000 after purchasing an additional 94,673 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV opened at $34.80 on Friday. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The stock has a market cap of $4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.48 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77. The company has a 50-day moving average of $38.64 and a two-hundred day moving average of $40.93.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on VVV. Morgan Stanley dropped their price objective 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. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens began coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.33.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was bought 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 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 acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase 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.