Wealthfront Advisers LLC Purchases Shares of 200,300 Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Wealthfront Advisers LLC bought a new position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor bought 200,300 shares of the basic materials company's stock, valued at approximately $7,247,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC owned about 0.16% of Valvoline at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of VVV. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 90.5% during the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,538 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $97,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on VVV shares. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reissued an "equal weight" rating and issued a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Mizuho lowered their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a "hold" rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Four 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $44.40.

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Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV traded up $0.64 during trading on Friday, hitting $35.46. The company had a trading volume of 1,348,448 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,269,502. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.78 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.70. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.90 and a 12 month high of $48.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.96 and a beta of 1.48.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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.