Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Lowers Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 50.0% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 350,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 350,000 shares during the quarter. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. owned about 0.27% of Valvoline worth $12,681,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in 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. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter valued at approximately $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 83.0% in the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% in the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.41 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $39.69. 2,027,706 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,550,947. The company has a market capitalization of $5.09 billion, a PE ratio of 18.99 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline Inc. has a 12-month low of $33.90 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $37.09 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.76. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results 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 net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised 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. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six 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 company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 26,437 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly 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.

Valvoline 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.