Leeward Investments LLC MA Sells 10,911 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Leeward Investments LLC MA cut its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 1.6% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 666,423 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 10,911 shares during the period. Valvoline comprises about 1.2% of Leeward Investments LLC MA’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Leeward Investments LLC MA’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $25,044,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. bought a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $31,165,000. Oak Thistle LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $1,060,000. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $1,049,000. First Hawaiian Bank grew its position in Valvoline by 368.1% in the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 48,622 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,827,000 after acquiring an additional 38,235 shares during the period. Finally, Scharf Investments LLC grew its position in Valvoline by 9.0% in the fourth quarter. Scharf Investments LLC now owns 2,655,463 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $99,792,000 after acquiring an additional 218,508 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV stock opened at $42.86 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.24. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.15 and a 52 week high of $45.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.56 billion, a PE ratio of 5.32 and a beta of 1.44. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $42.97 and its 200-day moving average is $37.72.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.29. Valvoline had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 92.04%. The business had revenue of $373.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $380.10 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.16 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have weighed in on VVV shares. Morgan Stanley upgraded Valvoline from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $37.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Citigroup upped their price target on Valvoline from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 13th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Valvoline from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Mizuho started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $50.00 target price on the stock. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.75.

Valvoline Company 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.