Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Upgraded by Zacks Research to “Strong-Buy” Rating

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently commented on VVV. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Valvoline from an “underweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $35.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $44.00 price objective (up from $41.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 8th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday, May 7th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Valvoline Stock Down 1.2%

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $38.98 on Tuesday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $36.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $35.21. The stock has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.40 and a beta of 0.99. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $28.50 and a fifty-two week high of $41.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.06. Valvoline had a net margin of 5.03% and a return on equity of 66.54%. The company had revenue of $503.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $495.67 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.34 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 25.0% on a year-over-year basis. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $31.80 per share, for a total transaction of $318,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 32,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,040,655. This trade represents a 44.00% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Jonathan L. Caldwell sold 2,851 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $114,040.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 20,918 shares in the company, valued at approximately $836,720. This represents a 11.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders acquired a total of 14,100 shares of company stock valued at $450,877 over the last ninety days. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at about $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,621.3% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,050 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 989 shares in the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter valued at about $42,000. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 39.9% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 90.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 691 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Company Profile

Valvoline (NYSE: VVV) is a leading global producer and distributor of automotive and industrial lubricants. The company’s portfolio spans engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, coolants and driveline products, all designed to help improve vehicle performance and longevity. Valvoline’s products are marketed under the Valvoline®, Valvoline NextGen® and Valvoline™ SynPower® brand names and are formulated to meet the stringent requirements of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy‐duty vehicles and off‐road applications.

In addition to its core lubricant business, Valvoline operates one of North America’s largest quick‐lubricant service networks through Valvoline Instant Oil Change℠ (VIOC).