Independence Bank of Kentucky Increases Stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

Independence Bank of Kentucky increased its position in shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 363.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 4,003 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 3,140 shares during the quarter. Independence Bank of Kentucky’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 3rd quarter valued at about $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its position in Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in Valvoline by 83.0% in the 3rd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Valvoline Stock Down 1.8 %

NYSE:VVV opened at $37.07 on Monday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.17. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. Valvoline Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $33.86 and a fifty-two week high of $48.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.88 and a beta of 1.45.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VVV. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.89.

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.