Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Earns Hold (C+) Rating from Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Valvoline's stock has received a "hold (C+)" rating reissued by Weiss Ratings and a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" from nine analysts who rated it as Buy.
• Shares of Valvoline are down 0.4% to $34.46, with analysts increasing their price targets and projections for earnings per share for the current year at 1.63.
• Insider trading activity includes CFO J Kevin Willis purchasing 12,725 shares, reflecting increased insider confidence as 96.13% of the stock is held by institutional investors.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c+)" rating reissued by equities research analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research report issued on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on VVV. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 7th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Monday, September 8th. Stephens increased their price target on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Valvoline presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $42.77.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.4%

Shares of VVV traded down $0.15 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $34.46. 596,547 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,720,238. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $31.01 and a 52 week high of $43.74. 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 company's 50 day moving average is $38.18 and its two-hundred day moving average is $36.43. The company has a market capitalization of $4.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.03 and a beta of 1.18.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 earnings per share (EPS) 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 business 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 company earned $0.45 EPS. The business's revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,492.25. The trade was a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. IFP Advisors Inc grew its holdings in Valvoline by 24.9% in the first quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,832 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $100,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 101.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,170 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $76,000 after purchasing an additional 1,093 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the first quarter valued at approximately $316,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the first quarter valued at approximately $865,000. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 1.7% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 46,208 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,608,000 after purchasing an additional 794 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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