Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Acquired by Hilton Capital Management LLC

Hilton Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 13.8% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,158 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 5,361 shares during the period. Hilton Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,848,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position 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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. MAI Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.4% during the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $486,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.7% in the third 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 buying an additional 313 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 6.1% in the second quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 6,292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $272,000 after buying an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

VVV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Baird R W upgraded shares of Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $47.75.

Valvoline Stock Down 8.7 %

VVV stock opened at $38.66 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.62. Valvoline Inc. has a 1-year low of $33.86 and a 1-year high of $48.26. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $41.43 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.99. The firm has a market cap of $4.98 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.43 and a beta of 1.46.

Valvoline declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, July 30th that permits the company to buyback $400.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the basic materials company to buy up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company’s board 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.