Sterling Capital Management LLC Lowers Stake in Valvoline $VVV

Sterling Capital Management LLC reduced its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) by 33.6% in the first quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 34,215 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 17,278 shares during the period. Sterling Capital Management LLC’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $1,152,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Community Bank N.A. purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in Valvoline by 1,621.3% in the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,050 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 989 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Valvoline by 90.1% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 691 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at about $60,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,906 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $31.80 per share, with a total value of $318,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 32,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,040,655. This represents a 44.00% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Richard Joseph Freeland bought 3,100 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $32.37 per share, for a total transaction of $100,347.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 16,112 shares in the company, valued at approximately $521,545.44. The trade was a 23.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have acquired 14,100 shares of company stock worth $450,877 over the last three months. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE:VVV opened at $39.55 on Wednesday. The company has a market cap of $5.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.18 and a beta of 1.02. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $28.50 and a 1 year high of $41.33. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $35.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $34.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.06. Valvoline had a return on equity of 66.54% and a net margin of 5.03%.The firm had revenue of $503.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $495.67 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $0.34 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 25.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on VVV. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 price objective on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They set an “equal weight” rating and a $35.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $44.00 price objective (up from $41.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $40.93.

Valvoline 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).