Leeward Investments LLC MA Sells 64,635 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Leeward Investments LLC MA reduced its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 9.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 606,082 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 64,635 shares during the period. Valvoline accounts for approximately 1.2% of Leeward Investments LLC MA's portfolio, making the stock its 19th biggest holding. Leeward Investments LLC MA owned 0.47% of Valvoline worth $25,365,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Sculptor Capital LP boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 187.6% during 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. F M Investments LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $11,992,000. Hantz Financial Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at $9,974,000. Tyro Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at $9,627,000. Finally, Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at $9,080,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VVV. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $48.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup increased their target price on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Baird R W upgraded Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $47.75.

Valvoline Trading Up 1.2 %

VVV traded up $0.50 on Thursday, hitting $43.41. 1,028,713 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,181,249. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.15 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.73. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $41.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.02. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.59 billion, a PE ratio of 35.29 and a beta of 1.46.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $421.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 182.88%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.43 EPS. Sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Valvoline announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, July 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $400.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the basic materials company to buy up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company's board believes its stock is undervalued.

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.