Gateway Investment Advisers LLC Reduces Stock Holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Gateway Investment Advisers LLC decreased its stake in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 6.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 151,674 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 10,461 shares during the quarter. Gateway Investment Advisers LLC owned about 0.12% of Valvoline worth $5,488,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. UMB Bank n.a. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 92.1% in the 3rd 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 period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline in the third quarter valued at $41,000. ORG Partners LLC raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 604 shares during the period. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 46.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho decreased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus began 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. Finally, Stephens initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.33.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE:VVV opened at $36.23 on Friday. Valvoline Inc. has a 12 month low of $33.86 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.36 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $38.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $40.72.

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.