Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Price Target Raised to $44.00 at Stephens

Key Points

• Valvoline's price target was raised by Stephens from $40.00 to $44.00, indicating a potential upside of 22.91% from the company's previous close.
• The company reported a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%, while revenue increased by 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year.
• NYSE:VVV has received mixed ratings from analysts, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $42.15.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) had its price objective upped by Stephens from $40.00 to $44.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning,Benzinga reports. Stephens currently has an overweight rating on the basic materials company's stock.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 28th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup cut their price objective on Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Cfra Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Finally, TD Securities initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.15.

Valvoline Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of VVV traded down $0.51 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $35.24. The company's stock had a trading volume of 2,150,253 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,679,610. The business has a fifty day moving average of $36.67 and a 200 day moving average of $35.97. The company has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.11 and a beta of 1.18. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $31.01 and a 1 year high of $47.08. The company has a quick ratio of 0.60, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $405.38 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. Valvoline's revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.37 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $33.78 per share, for a total transaction of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,574,620.92. This represents a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 21,425 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $775,000 after purchasing an additional 277 shares during the last quarter. Advisory Research Inc. grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.7% in the fourth quarter. Advisory Research Inc. now owns 41,045 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $1,485,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.6% in the fourth quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 56,792 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $2,055,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares during the last quarter. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.0% in the second quarter. L. Roy Papp & Associates LLP now owns 18,440 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $698,000 after purchasing an additional 360 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Isthmus Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 4.2% in the first quarter. Isthmus Partners LLC now owns 9,544 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $332,000 after purchasing an additional 387 shares during the last quarter. 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.