Assenagon Asset Management S.A. Takes $17.34 Million Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Assenagon Asset Management S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 479,260 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $17,340,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. owned 0.37% of Valvoline at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in VVV. Oak Thistle LLC raised its stake in Valvoline by 314.7% during the 4th quarter. Oak Thistle LLC now owns 20,117 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $728,000 after purchasing an additional 15,266 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 466.7% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the period. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its stake in Valvoline by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 42,055 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,522,000 after acquiring an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. boosted its position in Valvoline by 13.5% during the 4th quarter. Fulton Bank N.A. now owns 12,603 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $456,000 after acquiring an additional 1,501 shares during the period. Finally, Diversified Trust Co purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at about $382,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares of the company's stock, valued at $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV traded down $0.26 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $36.23. The company had a trading volume of 882,709 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,117,845. The business has a fifty day moving average of $38.02 and a 200-day moving average of $40.70. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77. The firm has a market cap of $4.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.36 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.86 and a 12 month high of $48.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $45.33.

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.