Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Stock Rating Upgraded by Wall Street Zen

Key Points

• Valvoline's stock rating was upgraded from "sell" to "hold" by Wall Street Zen, indicating a more favorable outlook for the company.
• Piper Sandler and Stephens both raised their price targets for Valvoline to $50.00 and $44.00 respectively, supporting the stock's current positive momentum.
• Valvoline reported earnings of $0.47 per share, surpassing analyst expectations, with revenues increasing by 4.2% year-over-year to $439 million.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued on Monday.

VVV has been the subject of a number of other reports. Piper Sandler lifted their price target on Valvoline from $44.00 to $50.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, September 8th. 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. Zacks Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised 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. Finally, Cfra Research raised Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday, July 7th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.77.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.2%

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $40.47 on Monday. 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 company's fifty day moving average is $38.12 and its 200-day moving average is $36.21. The company has a market capitalization of $5.14 billion, a PE ratio of 18.82 and a beta of 1.21.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.47 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 company had revenue of $439.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.45 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 12,725 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.41 per share, for a total transaction of $501,492.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 12,725 shares of the company's stock, valued at $501,492.25. This represents a ∞ increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Maseco LLP acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 2nd quarter worth about $27,000. Opal Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth about $35,000. American National Bank & Trust acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 221.8% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the period. Finally, Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 2nd quarter worth about $43,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Company Profile

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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