AXQ Capital LP Makes New Investment in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

AXQ Capital LP purchased a new position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 22,125 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $800,000.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $171,436,000 after buying an additional 16,916 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its stake in Valvoline by 118.2% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 67,948 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,844,000 after buying an additional 36,814 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake 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 valued at $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares during the period. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 52.4% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 53,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,242,000 after purchasing an additional 18,414 shares during the period. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth $9,095,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on VVV. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $35.28 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $36.86 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.75. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.48 billion, a PE ratio of 16.88 and a beta of 1.48. Valvoline Inc. has a 1 year low of $33.90 and a 1 year high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced 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%. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

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

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.