Leeward Investments LLC MA Sells 64,635 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Leeward Investments LLC MA reduced its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 9.6% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 606,082 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 64,635 shares during the period. Valvoline comprises 1.2% of Leeward Investments LLC MA’s portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest position. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned about 0.47% of Valvoline worth $25,365,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in Valvoline by 57.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Mather Group LLC. raised its position in Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 760 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 46.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE VVV opened at $42.92 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 34.89 and a beta of 1.46. Valvoline Inc. has a twelve month low of $29.15 and a twelve month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $41.13 and a 200 day moving average of $42.01.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). Valvoline had a return on equity of 182.88% and a net margin of 10.45%. The firm had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $425.17 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. Valvoline’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline announced that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that permits the company to buyback $400.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the basic materials company to repurchase up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have weighed in on VVV. Baird R W raised Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Robert W. Baird started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Citigroup boosted their price objective on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $47.75.

About Valvoline

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.