Natixis Advisors LLC Purchases 31,661 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 8.1% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 422,989 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 31,661 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $17,702,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

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

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV opened at $38.66 on Wednesday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $41.44 and a 200-day moving average price of $42.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a PE ratio of 31.92 and a beta of 1.46. Valvoline Inc. has a 1 year low of $33.86 and a 1 year high of $48.26.

Valvoline declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to repurchase $400.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the basic materials company to reacquire up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently weighed in on VVV shares. Robert W. Baird started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Stephens started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Baird R W raised Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price 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.