Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Receives $44.89 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten research firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have assigned a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $45.11.

A number of research firms have issued reports on VVV. Mizuho reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in Valvoline by 16.8% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $407,541,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398,310 shares during the period. Geneva Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter worth about $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at about $25,538,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 766.6% in the 4th quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 644,980 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $23,335,000 after acquiring an additional 570,550 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $17,340,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock opened at $38.74 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $37.02 and its 200 day moving average price is $39.96. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $33.90 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The company has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a PE ratio of 18.54 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.64 EPS for the current 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.