Piper Sandler Raises Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Price Target to $50.00

Key Points

• Piper Sandler has increased Valvoline's price target from $44.00 to $50.00, indicating a potential upside of 25.58% based on the stock's previous close.
• Valvoline recently reported $0.47 EPS for the quarter, slightly exceeding the consensus estimate of $0.46 EPS, along with a year-over-year revenue increase of 4.2%.
• Recent analyst ratings reveal nine analysts have given Valvoline a Buy rating while maintaining a consensus target price of $42.77.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) had its price objective boosted by Piper Sandler from $44.00 to $50.00 in a report published on Monday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the basic materials company's stock.

A number of other research firms also recently weighed in on VVV. Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Sunday, September 7th. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their price target for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $42.77.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.08 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $40.47. 1,224,422 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,432,092. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $31.01 and a 1 year high of $43.74. The company's 50 day moving average is $38.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.22. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. The firm has a market cap of $5.14 billion, a PE ratio of 18.82 and a beta of 1.21.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 84.85% and a net margin of 16.43%.The firm had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $0.45 EPS. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Cooke & Bieler LP purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at $110,501,000. Boston Partners purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at $82,748,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at $57,739,000. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. boosted its stake in Valvoline by 118.8% during the 2nd quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 2,678,878 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $101,449,000 after purchasing an additional 1,454,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 189.8% during the 2nd quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 2,163,631 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $81,937,000 after purchasing an additional 1,417,156 shares during the last quarter. 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.