Geneva Capital Management LLC Grows Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Geneva Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 56.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,220,453 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 439,809 shares during the period. Geneva Capital Management LLC owned 0.95% of Valvoline worth $44,156,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 1,398,310 shares during the last quarter. Fiera Capital Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,538,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 766.6% in the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 644,980 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $23,335,000 after purchasing an additional 570,550 shares during the last quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth about $17,340,000. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. raised its position in Valvoline by 28.5% during the fourth quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,577,313 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $57,067,000 after acquiring an additional 349,778 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho dropped their price target 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. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction 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. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV stock traded down $0.65 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $34.51. 2,193,581 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,611,806. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.51 and a beta of 1.48. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $36.89 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $39.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Valvoline Inc. has a one year low of $33.90 and a one year high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (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 forecast that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

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.