Alesco Advisors LLC Invests $1.20 Million in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Alesco Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 31,952 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,201,000.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 51.1% in the fourth quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 18,742 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $704,000 after acquiring an additional 6,337 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 66,273 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,491,000 after buying an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 3.9% during the fourth quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC now owns 45,781 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,720,000 after buying an additional 1,727 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. acquired a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth $225,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Stock Up 0.8 %

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded up $0.34 on Friday, hitting $42.86. 607,989 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,159,412. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $42.97 and its 200 day moving average is $37.72. The company has a market capitalization of $5.56 billion, a PE ratio of 5.32 and a beta of 1.44. Valvoline Inc. has a 1-year low of $29.15 and a 1-year high of $45.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.24.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29. The firm had revenue of $373.40 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $380.10 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 92.04%. The business’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.16 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on VVV. Mizuho began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised Valvoline from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and upped their price target for the company from $37.00 to $44.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Citigroup upped their price target on Valvoline from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 13th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Valvoline from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $42.75.

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.