Lecap Asset Management Ltd. Acquires 11,847 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Lecap Asset Management Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 50.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 35,467 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,847 shares during the period. Lecap Asset Management Ltd.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,283,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of VVV. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its position in Valvoline by 16.8% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $407,541,000 after buying an additional 1,398,310 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,538,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $17,340,000. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 438.7% in the third quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 308,699 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $12,919,000 after purchasing an additional 251,398 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on VVV shares. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens initiated coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.11.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE:VVV opened at $38.74 on Friday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $37.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $39.96. Valvoline Inc. has a 1 year low of $33.90 and a 1 year high of $48.26. The company has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.54 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

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

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.