Royce & Associates LP Cuts Stock Position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Royce & Associates LP decreased its position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 2.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 1,251,182 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 36,539 shares during the period. Royce & Associates LP owned approximately 0.97% of Valvoline worth $52,362,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Valvoline by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Mather Group LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the 2nd 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 during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC lifted its position in Valvoline by 46.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $61,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on VVV shares. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $48.00 price objective for the company. Stephens started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Baird R W raised Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $47.75.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.54 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $42.32. The company had a trading volume of 878,608 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,173,314. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The stock's 50 day moving average price is $41.31 and its 200-day moving average price is $42.04. Valvoline Inc. has a 52-week low of $33.86 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The company has a market capitalization of $5.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.36 and a beta of 1.46.

Valvoline declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase 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 reacquire up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company's leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

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.