Atria Investments Inc Sells 3,122 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Atria Investments Inc lessened its holdings in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 15.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 17,560 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 3,122 shares during the quarter. Atria Investments Inc’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $635,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC increased its holdings in Valvoline by 466.7% during the fourth 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 90.5% in the fourth quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 2,538 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $92,000 after purchasing an additional 1,206 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter valued at $97,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $35.46 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $36.78 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $38.97. Valvoline Inc. has a 1-year low of $33.90 and a 1-year high of $48.27. The stock has a market cap of $4.51 billion, a PE ratio of 16.96 and a beta of 1.48.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping 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%. As a group, analysts forecast that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

VVV has been the topic of several research reports. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Four research 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. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.40.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

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.