Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. lessened its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 30.1% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 301,196 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 129,566 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 0.23% of Valvoline worth $12,605,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of VVV. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its stake in Valvoline by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $407,541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,398,310 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% during the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $171,436,000 after purchasing an additional 16,916 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.8% in the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $153,032,000 after purchasing an additional 100,305 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Valvoline by 3.6% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,720,748 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $117,534,000 after purchasing an additional 94,673 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Valvoline by 2.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Stock Down 1.5 %

Valvoline stock traded down $0.54 during trading on Friday, reaching $36.37. 729,052 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,231,008. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.86 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The firm has a market cap of $4.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.45 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company's 50-day moving average is $39.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $41.37.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the transaction, 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 position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $45.78.

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.