Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at The Goldman Sachs Group

Equities researchers at The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $45.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. The Goldman Sachs Group’s price target indicates a potential upside of 30.93% from the company’s previous close.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Citigroup lowered their price target on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. TD Securities assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, April 4th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $42.54.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.6%

Shares of VVV opened at $34.37 on Tuesday. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $31.02 and a twelve month high of $48.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.45 and a beta of 1.20. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $34.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.10. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $405.38 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.37 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 46,614 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Barclays PLC boosted its position 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 valued at $2,242,000 after buying an additional 18,414 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,642,754 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $59,435,000 after acquiring an additional 16,912 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $223,000. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in Valvoline by 33.7% in the 4th quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 15,909 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $576,000 after acquiring an additional 4,013 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VELA Investment Management LLC grew its stake in Valvoline by 39.8% in the 4th quarter. VELA Investment Management LLC now owns 84,273 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $3,049,000 after buying an additional 24,001 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.