Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. Acquires 16,365 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. raised its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 34.1% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 64,337 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 16,365 shares during the period. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $2,328,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank acquired a new position in Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $54,114,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Valvoline by 766.6% during the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 644,980 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $23,335,000 after purchasing an additional 570,550 shares during the period. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth approximately $17,340,000. Geneva Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 56.3% during the 4th quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC now owns 1,220,453 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $44,156,000 after buying an additional 439,809 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 28.5% during the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,577,313 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $57,067,000 after buying an additional 349,778 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Down 3.7 %

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $34.52 on Friday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $36.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $38.45. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.90 and a 52 week high of $48.27. The company has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.52 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. Research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have recently commented on VVV shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Four investment 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $44.40.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the business’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 value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

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.