Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Shares Sold by Principal Financial Group Inc.

Principal Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 11.9% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 430,762 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 58,409 shares during the period. Principal Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $18,609,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in Valvoline by 57.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC. increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 760 shares during the last quarter. Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth about $39,000. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 23.1% in the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,940 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $73,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp grew its stake in Valvoline by 176.9% during the 1st quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,886 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $84,000 after purchasing an additional 1,205 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Down 2.7 %

NYSE:VVV opened at $41.05 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $43.15 and a 200-day moving average of $42.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.29 billion, a PE ratio of 32.58 and a beta of 1.43. Valvoline Inc. has a 52 week low of $29.15 and a 52 week high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 182.88% and a net margin of 10.45%. Valvoline’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. Analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.53 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts have recently commented on VVV shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup upped their target price 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. Piper Sandler assumed coverage on Valvoline in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 target price for the company. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $46.25.

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.