Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the eleven brokerages that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $44.40.

Several brokerages recently issued reports on VVV. Mizuho cut their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Royal Bank of Canada boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price for the company.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $171,436,000 after buying an additional 16,916 shares during the period. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 118.2% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 67,948 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,844,000 after acquiring an additional 36,814 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 2.5% in the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $93,215,000 after acquiring an additional 54,545 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 52.4% during the third quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 53,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,242,000 after acquiring an additional 18,414 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Confluence Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at $9,095,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV stock opened at $35.25 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.87 and a beta of 1.48. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $36.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $33.90 and a 1-year high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline Company 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.