KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS Takes $930,000 Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 25,700 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $930,000.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its stake in Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Atala Financial Inc purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at about $77,000. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Valvoline by 90.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,538 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 560.5% in the fourth quarter. 1620 Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 2,556 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 2,169 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV stock opened at $34.86 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.68 and a beta of 1.48. Valvoline Inc. has a one year low of $33.90 and a one year high of $48.27. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $36.75 and a 200 day moving average price of $38.54.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on VVV. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho decreased 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. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.40.

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.