Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Hantz Financial Services Inc.

Hantz Financial Services Inc. lessened its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 15.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 189,622 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 34,451 shares during the quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. owned 0.15% of Valvoline worth $6,861,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. MAI Capital Management grew its holdings in Valvoline by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $486,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the 3rd 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 last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 47,602 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,992,000 after purchasing an additional 313 shares during the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 29.3% during the third quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,608 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $67,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 19,215 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $695,000 after buying an additional 373 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. The trade was a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby purchased 10,000 shares of the company'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 purchase, 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 disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $44.89.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded up $0.24 on Thursday, reaching $37.66. The company's stock had a trading volume of 276,953 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,292,154. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.86 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.83 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.25 and a beta of 1.45. The stock's 50-day moving average is $37.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

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.