Analysts Set Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Target Price at $44.40

Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) have earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eleven ratings firms that are covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have issued a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $44.40.

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

Valvoline Trading Down 2.9 %

Shares of VVV opened at $34.87 on Friday. 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. The stock has a market cap of $4.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.68 and a beta of 1.48. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.66.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping 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%. Equities analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In related news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 6.5% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 28,919 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,210,000 after acquiring an additional 1,761 shares in the last quarter. OneDigital Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter worth about $227,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 118.2% in the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 67,948 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,844,000 after buying an additional 36,814 shares during the period. MAI Capital Management grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 2.4% in the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $486,000 after buying an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter valued at about $41,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.