Advisors Preferred LLC Has $1.19 Million Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Advisors Preferred LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 74.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 33,228 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 99,405 shares during the quarter. Advisors Preferred LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,191,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp grew its position 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 period. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 8.1% in the third quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 422,989 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $17,702,000 after purchasing an additional 31,661 shares in the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter worth about $4,628,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans raised its position in Valvoline by 118.2% in the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 67,948 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,844,000 after buying an additional 36,814 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Valvoline by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $93,215,000 after acquiring an additional 54,545 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock opened at $38.74 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.70. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.90 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $37.02 and a 200-day moving average price of $39.96. The company has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.54 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.64 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stephens began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. Three investment 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 company. According to MarketBeat, Valvoline presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.11.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the business’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 acquisition, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.