Jefferies Financial Group Initiates Coverage on Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Analysts at Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) in a report issued on Wednesday. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective indicates a potential upside of 33.37% from the company’s previous close.

VVV has been the subject of several other reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $38.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 20th. Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Valvoline from $50.00 to $41.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on Valvoline from $47.00 to $41.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Valvoline from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Friday, September 26th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada restated an “outperform” rating on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $38.64.

Valvoline Stock Down 2.5%

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.77 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $29.99. 1,874,963 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,835,126. The stock has a market cap of $3.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.29 and a beta of 1.17. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.10. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $32.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.77. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $29.29 and a 12-month high of $41.33.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, November 19th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.47 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a return on equity of 72.49% and a net margin of 12.32%.The firm had revenue of $453.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $455.70 million. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $0.46 EPS. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.600-1070.000 EPS. On average, analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 3,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total transaction of $102,016.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 17,251 shares in the company, valued at approximately $549,961.88. This represents a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $30.82 per share, for a total transaction of $138,690.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 69,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,134,808.94. This represents a 6.95% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of VVV. Russell Investments Group Ltd. increased its holdings in Valvoline by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 59,093 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $2,057,000 after purchasing an additional 6,109 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. increased its stake in Valvoline by 121.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 575,320 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $20,027,000 after purchasing an additional 314,958 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its position in Valvoline by 289.4% in the first quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 54,073 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,878,000 after acquiring an additional 40,188 shares during the last quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,985,000. Finally, Fiduciary Management Inc. WI raised its position in Valvoline by 13.0% in the 1st quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,769,346 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $166,021,000 after purchasing an additional 548,071 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.