Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Downgraded to Sell Rating by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Valvoline has been downgraded from "hold" to "sell" by Wall Street Zen following a new report issued over the weekend.
• Despite the downgrade, several brokerages, including Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo, have raised their target prices for Valvoline, indicating mixed sentiment among analysts.
• Valvoline reported a quarterly EPS of $0.47, slightly beating analyst estimates, and achieved a revenue of $439 million, marking a 4.2% increase year-over-year.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) was downgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a report issued on Sunday.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on VVV. The Goldman Sachs Group raised Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and upped their target price for the stock from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Stephens upped their target price on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 12th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.31.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV opened at $39.01 on Friday. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $31.01 and a 52-week high of $43.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.73. The business's 50 day moving average price is $38.02 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $36.12. The firm has a market cap of $4.96 billion, a PE ratio of 18.14 and a beta of 1.21.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 analyst estimates of $436.35 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis purchased 12,725 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $501,492.25. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Jane Street Group LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 8.8% during the fourth quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 107,206 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $3,879,000 after buying an additional 8,677 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its holdings in Valvoline by 61.8% during the fourth quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 120,214 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,349,000 after buying an additional 45,928 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in Valvoline by 2.0% during the fourth quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 22,124 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $800,000 after buying an additional 438 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its holdings in Valvoline by 1.3% during the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 21,425 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $775,000 after buying an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG grew its holdings in Valvoline by 437.2% during the fourth quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 133,140 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $4,817,000 after buying an additional 108,355 shares in the last quarter. 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.

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