First Trust Advisors LP Lowers Stake in Valvoline $VVV

First Trust Advisors LP reduced its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 26.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 54,140 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 19,807 shares during the quarter. First Trust Advisors LP’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,823,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 298.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 253,447 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $8,822,000 after buying an additional 189,842 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in Valvoline by 4.6% in the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 858,584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $29,887,000 after buying an additional 37,657 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Valvoline by 4.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 487,609 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $16,974,000 after acquiring an additional 20,947 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in Valvoline by 15.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 124,071 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $4,319,000 after acquiring an additional 16,865 shares during the period. Finally, Creative Planning lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 40.1% in the second quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,225 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $311,000 after acquiring an additional 2,353 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.5%

Shares of VVV opened at $35.44 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.77. The business has a fifty day moving average of $38.10 and a 200 day moving average of $35.79. The company has a market cap of $4.52 billion, a PE ratio of 44.30 and a beta of 1.00. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $28.50 and a 52-week high of $41.33.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.57 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.07. Valvoline had a net margin of 5.17% and a return on equity of 65.12%. The business had revenue of $544.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $543.21 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.47 earnings per share. The business’s revenue was up 24.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.750 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.75 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Jennifer Lynn Slater acquired 1,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $32.53 per share, with a total value of $32,530.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $32,530. This trade represents a ? increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $31.80 per share, with a total value of $318,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 32,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,040,655. This trade represents a 44.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders bought a total of 14,100 shares of company stock valued at $450,877 in the last quarter. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus increased their target price on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 21st. Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $46.00 price objective on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $47.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.56.

Valvoline Company Profile

Valvoline (NYSE: VVV) is a leading global producer and distributor of automotive and industrial lubricants. The company’s portfolio spans engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, coolants and driveline products, all designed to help improve vehicle performance and longevity. Valvoline’s products are marketed under the Valvoline®, Valvoline NextGen® and Valvoline™ SynPower® brand names and are formulated to meet the stringent requirements of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy?duty vehicles and off?road applications.

In addition to its core lubricant business, Valvoline operates one of North America’s largest quick?lubricant service networks through Valvoline Instant Oil Change? (VIOC).