Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Stake Lessened by Franklin Resources Inc.

Franklin Resources Inc. cut its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 47.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 16,000 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 14,549 shares during the quarter. Franklin Resources Inc.'s holdings in Valvoline were worth $660,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in Valvoline by 16.8% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $407,541,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398,310 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $171,436,000 after buying an additional 16,916 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. grew its stake in Valvoline by 2.8% in the 3rd quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $153,032,000 after acquiring an additional 100,305 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Valvoline by 3.6% during the 2nd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,720,748 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $117,534,000 after acquiring an additional 94,673 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 2.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $93,215,000 after acquiring an additional 54,545 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a "hold" rating and a $42.00 target price for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $45.78.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby purchased 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were bought at an average price of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 2,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $36.18. The company had a trading volume of 1,399,471 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,230,981. The stock has a market cap of $4.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.33 and a beta of 1.43. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $39.58 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $41.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.86 and a 12 month high of $48.26.

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.