Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Stock Rating Upgraded by Zacks Research

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other equities analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of Valvoline from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on Valvoline from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $42.50.

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV stock opened at $38.98 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61. The firm has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a PE ratio of 53.40 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50 day moving average of $36.92 and a 200-day moving average of $35.21. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $28.50 and a 12-month high of $41.33.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $503.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $495.67 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 66.54% and a net margin of 5.03%.Valvoline’s quarterly revenue was up 25.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.34 earnings per share. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, Director Jennifer Lynn Slater acquired 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 15th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $32.53 per share, with a total value of $32,530.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $32,530. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Richard Joseph Freeland acquired 3,100 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $32.37 per share, with a total value of $100,347.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 16,112 shares in the company, valued at approximately $521,545.44. This trade represents a 23.82% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have bought a total of 14,100 shares of company stock valued at $450,877 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 2.5% in the 4th quarter. Alpine Woods Capital Investors LLC now owns 10,866 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $316,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1.0% in the second quarter. Orion Porfolio Solutions LLC now owns 28,510 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,080,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 4.2% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 7,912 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $230,000 after purchasing an additional 319 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. grew its position in Valvoline by 20.3% in the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,906 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SummitTX Capital L.P. increased its stake in Valvoline by 3.8% in the 4th quarter. SummitTX Capital L.P. now owns 9,008 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $262,000 after buying an additional 326 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

About Valvoline

Valvoline (NYSE: VVV) is a leading global producer and distributor of automotive and industrial lubricants. The company’s portfolio spans engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, coolants and driveline products, all designed to help improve vehicle performance and longevity. Valvoline’s products are marketed under the Valvoline®, Valvoline NextGen® and Valvoline™ SynPower® brand names and are formulated to meet the stringent requirements of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy‐duty vehicles and off‐road applications.

In addition to its core lubricant business, Valvoline operates one of North America’s largest quick‐lubricant service networks through Valvoline Instant Oil Change℠ (VIOC).