Geneva Capital Management LLC Acquires Shares of 780,644 Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Geneva Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 780,644 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,670,000. Geneva Capital Management LLC owned about 0.61% of Valvoline at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in Valvoline by 92.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $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 worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter valued at $34,000. Mather Group LLC. increased its stake in Valvoline by 1,617.0% in the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 760 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 46.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on VVV shares. Robert W. Baird started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Baird R W upgraded Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Stephens began 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. Citigroup raised their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Two 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’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $47.75.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.5 %

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $42.60 on Wednesday. Valvoline Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $32.40 and a fifty-two week high of $48.26. The business’s fifty day moving average is $41.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.03. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. The firm has a market cap of $5.49 billion, a PE ratio of 34.63 and a beta of 1.46.

Valvoline declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that authorizes the company to buyback $400.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the basic materials company to repurchase up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.