Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

Key Points

• Valvoline has been upgraded to a "hold" rating by Zacks Research, indicating a more neutral outlook for the stock.
• Citigroup and Morgan Stanley recently lowered their price targets for Valvoline to $38.00 and $39.00, respectively, while Wells Fargo increased its target to $44.00.
• Valvoline's recent earnings report showed a quarterly EPS of $0.47, slightly beating estimates, with a year-over-year revenue increase of 4.2%.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by Zacks Research to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

VVV has been the topic of several other reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 29th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, May 9th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 7th. Stephens lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler reissued an "overweight" rating and issued a $44.00 price objective (down from $45.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, May 9th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.31.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of Valvoline stock traded down $0.08 during trading hours on Tuesday, reaching $39.33. 170,199 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,744,738. The company has a 50 day moving average of $37.28 and a two-hundred day moving average of $36.06. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $31.01 and a fifty-two 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 stock has a market cap of $5.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.31 and a beta of 1.17.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 net margin of 16.43% and a return on equity of 84.85%. The business had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.45 EPS. Valvoline's revenue was up 4.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Maseco LLP bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth about $43,000. American National Bank & Trust bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 67.5% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,164 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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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