Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Acquired by State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D

State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D raised its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 14.1% in the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 54,312 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 6,710 shares during the quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,965,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in VVV. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares during the period. Vestor Capital LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 3rd quarter worth about $69,000. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in Valvoline during the 3rd quarter valued at about $97,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Valvoline Stock Down 3.8 %

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $36.50 on Monday. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $33.90 and a 52 week high of $48.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.70. The company’s fifty day moving average is $37.03 and its 200-day moving average is $39.45. The company has a market capitalization of $4.64 billion, a PE ratio of 17.46 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. Equities research analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. The trade was a 6.96 % increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

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.