Polymer Capital Management US LLC Purchases Shares of 11,261 Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Polymer Capital Management US LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm purchased 11,261 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $407,000.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd bought a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth $49,000. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at $73,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 target price (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $43.67.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE:VVV opened at $34.57 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 1.32. Valvoline Inc. has a 1 year low of $32.99 and a 1 year high of $48.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $36.64 and a 200-day moving average of $38.37. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

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

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate 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.