Nicolet Advisory Services LLC Buys New Shares in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Nicolet Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 6,157 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $214,000.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 7.3% during the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 74,286 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,109,000 after acquiring an additional 5,030 shares during the period. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter worth approximately $97,000. Benjamin Edwards Inc. increased its position in Valvoline by 70,666.7% during the third quarter. Benjamin Edwards Inc. now owns 10,615 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $444,000 after purchasing an additional 10,600 shares during the last quarter. Holocene Advisors LP raised its stake in Valvoline by 260.8% during the third quarter. Holocene Advisors LP now owns 65,208 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,729,000 after purchasing an additional 47,134 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 34,685 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,450,000 after purchasing an additional 1,537 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on VVV shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated 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. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.67.

Valvoline Trading Up 0.3 %

NYSE VVV opened at $34.57 on Friday. The company’s fifty day simple moving average is $36.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $38.41. The stock has a market cap of $4.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 1.32. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $32.99 and a 52 week high of $48.27. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 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, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. Equities research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were 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 filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

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.