Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. Acquires 407,710 Shares of Valvoline $VVV

Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 19.9% in the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,452,908 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after buying an additional 407,710 shares during the quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $92,892,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Valvoline during the second quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the first quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in Valvoline by 221.8% during the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $41,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC grew its position in Valvoline by 67.5% during the second quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $44,000 after buying an additional 469 shares during the period. Finally, Steph & Co. bought a new stake in Valvoline during the second quarter valued at approximately $45,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $501,492.25. This represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock opened at $35.75 on Friday. Valvoline has a one year low of $31.01 and a one year high of $43.74. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $38.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $36.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. The company has a market capitalization of $4.54 billion, a PE ratio of 16.63 and a beta of 1.18.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.43% and a return on equity of 84.85%. The firm had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VVV. Cfra Research upgraded shares of Valvoline to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Valvoline from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Friday, September 26th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Valvoline in a report on Saturday, September 27th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.77.

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.