33,760 Shares of Valvoline $VVV Bought by Markel Group Inc.

Markel Group Inc. acquired a new stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 33,760 shares of the basic materials company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,018,000.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in Valvoline in the second quarter valued at approximately $501,851,000. Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 15.0% during the 1st quarter. Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP now owns 3,147,810 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $106,018,000 after acquiring an additional 409,565 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.5% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,973,851 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $100,156,000 after purchasing an additional 15,462 shares during the period. Junto Capital Management LP acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 2nd quarter valued at $81,689,000. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth $52,960,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV stock opened at $33.83 on Wednesday. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $30.68 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.36. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.77. The firm has a market cap of $4.32 billion, a PE ratio of 19.09 and a beta of 1.01. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $26.21 and a 1-year high of $41.08.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.50 by $0.07. Valvoline had a return on equity of 65.12% and a net margin of 5.17%. The firm had revenue of $544.60 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $543.21 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.47 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 24.1% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.76 earnings per share for the current year.

Valvoline declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, September 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $175 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the basic materials company to repurchase up to 4.8% of its shares through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, CAO Jordan M. Denny bought 1,506 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 12th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $33.20 per share, with a total value of $49,999.20. Following the purchase, the chief accounting officer owned 4,121 shares in the company, valued at $136,817.20. This trade represents a 57.59% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Julie O’Daniel sold 3,700 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.81, for a total value of $125,097.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 14,279 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $482,772.99. The trade was a 20.58% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently commented on VVV. Barclays decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Citigroup cut their target price on Valvoline from $41.00 to $34.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, October 1st. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on Valvoline from $45.00 to $40.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 23rd. TD Cowen decreased their target price on Valvoline from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 14th. Finally, UBS Group set a $40.00 price target on Valvoline in a research note on Wednesday, October 14th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.17.

Valvoline Company Profile

Valvoline Inc (NYSE: VVV) is an automotive maintenance services company that operates and franchises Valvoline Instant Oil Change service centers. Its locations provide preventive vehicle maintenance designed to help drivers keep their cars operating reliably and extend the useful life of key components.

The company’s services include oil changes, fluid replacement and top-offs, battery testing and replacement, air-conditioning services, tire rotation, tire services, and replacement of filters, wiper blades, and other routine maintenance items.