Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Boosts Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. raised its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 50.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 35,467 shares of the basic materials company's stock after purchasing an additional 11,847 shares during the period. Lecap Asset Management Ltd.'s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,283,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 46.6% in the second quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 2,698 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 858 shares during the last quarter. Sanctuary Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $310,000. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 376.0% in the 3rd quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 14,141 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $592,000 after buying an additional 11,170 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 8.8% in the third quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 7,052 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $295,000 after buying an additional 569 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its holdings in Valvoline by 50.0% during the third quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB now owns 41,400 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,733,000 after buying an additional 13,800 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE VVV traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $40.10. 1,603,050 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,662,017. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $37.02 and a 200 day simple moving average of $39.80. The stock has a market cap of $5.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.19 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline Inc. has a 1-year low of $33.90 and a 1-year high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. On average, analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

VVV has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday. Stephens initiated coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective 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. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $45.11.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In related news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. The trade was a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

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.