Citigroup Inc. Grows Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Citigroup Inc. grew its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 15.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 114,598 shares of the basic materials company's stock after buying an additional 14,962 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. owned 0.09% of Valvoline worth $4,796,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Congress Asset Management Co. boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 2.8% in the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $153,032,000 after purchasing an additional 100,305 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Valvoline by 3.6% during the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,720,748 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $117,534,000 after acquiring an additional 94,673 shares during the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 187.6% in the second quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 1,879,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $81,194,000 after purchasing an additional 1,226,000 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,625,842 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $68,041,000 after acquiring an additional 19,877 shares during the period. Finally, Commerce Bank boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 1.8% in the 3rd quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 1,232,013 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $51,560,000 after purchasing an additional 21,369 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Price Performance

NYSE:VVV traded down $0.29 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $39.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,458,014 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,204,738. The business's 50-day moving average is $41.09 and its two-hundred day moving average is $41.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $5.03 billion, a PE ratio of 24.17 and a beta of 1.43. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.86 and a 52-week high of $48.26.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. The trade was a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Robert W. Baird reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Baird R W upgraded shares of Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price objective on Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $46.25.

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.