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

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

Several equities research analysts have commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.0 %

NYSE:VVV opened at $35.29 on Wednesday. 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 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $36.98 and its 200 day moving average is $39.28. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.49 billion, a PE ratio of 16.89 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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%. Sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the business’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 completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 15,305 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $572,560.05. The trade was a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Valvoline by 83.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 604 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in Valvoline by 10.6% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 199,152 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $8,335,000 after buying an additional 19,091 shares during the last quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue boosted its stake in Valvoline by 7.2% in the third quarter. State of Alaska Department of Revenue now owns 15,088 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $631,000 after buying an additional 1,015 shares in the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. grew its position in Valvoline by 2.8% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $153,032,000 after acquiring an additional 100,305 shares during the last quarter. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 2.0% during the third quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 38,817 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,624,000 after acquiring an additional 752 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.