JPMorgan Chase & Co. Cuts Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 29.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 389,186 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 161,710 shares during the quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. owned about 0.30% of Valvoline worth $14,081,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 35,530 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,285,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,548 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $128,000 after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the period. Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 19,215 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $695,000 after buying an additional 373 shares during the period. Choreo LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.5% during the fourth quarter. Choreo LLC now owns 16,260 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $589,000 after purchasing an additional 396 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Meridian Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 5.7% in the fourth quarter. Meridian Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,615 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $276,000 after buying an additional 408 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

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Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company's stock, valued at $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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VVV has been the topic of several research reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "equal weight" rating and set a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. Finally, TD Securities started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price target for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $43.67.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.2 %

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.41 on Tuesday, hitting $34.02. The company had a trading volume of 1,099,569 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,358,248. The firm has a market cap of $4.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.28 and a beta of 1.32. Valvoline Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.02 and a twelve month high of $48.27. The stock's 50-day moving average is $35.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $37.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.70.

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, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About Valvoline

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.