Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) has received a consensus recommendation of **"Moderate Buy"** from fifteen brokerages, with an average target price of **$42.31** for the next year.
• CEO Lori Ann Flees and CFO J Kevin Willis recently purchased shares of Valvoline, indicating significant **insider confidence** in the company's stock.
• Valvoline reported earnings of **$0.47 per share**, exceeding analysts' expectations and showing a **4.2% revenue increase** year-over-year.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) has earned an average rating of "Moderate Buy" from the fifteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have given a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $42.3077.

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $44.00 price target (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, August 7th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lifted their price target for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a report on Tuesday, June 3rd. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, Stephens lifted their price target on Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 29th.

Valvoline Stock Up 2.5%

NYSE:VVV traded up $0.9680 on Wednesday, hitting $39.8480. 857,417 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,741,218. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.37. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $31.01 and a 1 year high of $43.74. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $37.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $36.13. The company has a market cap of $5.07 billion, a PE ratio of 18.53 and a beta of 1.17.

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

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the acquisition, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at $501,492.25. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Cooke & Bieler LP acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $110,501,000. Boston Partners acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth approximately $82,748,000. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $57,739,000. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 118.8% in the 2nd quarter. Mawer Investment Management Ltd. now owns 2,678,878 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $101,449,000 after purchasing an additional 1,454,458 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Channing Capital Management LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 189.8% in the 2nd quarter. Channing Capital Management LLC now owns 2,163,631 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $81,937,000 after buying an additional 1,417,156 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently 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.