Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Receives $44.40 Consensus Price Target from Analysts

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

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

Valvoline Trading Down 0.5 %

NYSE:VVV opened at $35.11 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $4.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.80 and a beta of 1.48. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $33.90 and a 12 month high of $48.27. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.78 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.58.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share 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%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate 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 company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Huntington National Bank grew its holdings in Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter worth about $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth approximately $49,000. 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.