Scharf Investments LLC Decreases Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Scharf Investments LLC cut its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 8.5% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 42,893 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,980 shares during the quarter. Scharf Investments LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,552,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in Valvoline by 92.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in Valvoline by 466.7% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in Valvoline by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $58,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 46.5% in the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,523,285.92. This trade represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV stock opened at $37.07 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88 and a beta of 1.45. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $37.23 and its 200 day simple moving average is $40.28. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently commented on VVV. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective 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. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on 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 issued a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stephens assumed coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Finally, Mizuho cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Three 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 MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.89.

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.