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

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has been given an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the thirteen research firms that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, eight have issued a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1 year target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $42.33.

A number of brokerages have issued reports on VVV. Citigroup lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, April 29th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $44.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. 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 note on Thursday, February 13th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, April 28th. Finally, TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price for the company.

Valvoline Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $34.92 on Monday. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $31.02 and a 1 year high of $48.27. The firm has a market cap of $4.44 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.71 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a 50-day moving average of $34.38 and a 200 day moving average of $36.72. 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 (NYSE:VVV) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.37 EPS. Valvoline’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions 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 transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Huntington National Bank boosted its position in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth approximately $35,000. American National Bank & Trust purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 221.8% in the first quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

About Valvoline

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.