Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Decreases Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 22.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 700,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 200,000 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. owned about 0.54% of Valvoline worth $29,316,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of VVV. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Mather Group LLC. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 760 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its stake in Valvoline by 46.5% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock traded down $0.24 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $41.48. The company had a trading volume of 631,789 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,189,013. The company has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.92 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $41.16 and a 200 day moving average price of $42.05. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $29.15 and a 12-month high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 182.88%. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. Valvoline's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Valvoline declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that authorizes the company to repurchase $400.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the basic materials company to buy up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Baird R W upgraded Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Stephens began coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $47.75.

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.