Valvoline's (VVV) Hold (C+) Rating Reiterated at Weiss Ratings

Key Points

• Valvoline's stock rating has been reaffirmed as "hold (C+)" by Weiss Ratings, with various other analysts also issuing hold ratings and price targets between $42.00 and $48.00.
• The company's earnings report showed a net revenue increase of 4.2% year-over-year, with earnings per share beating analysts' expectations at $0.47.
• Institutional investors hold a significant stake in Valvoline, owning 96.13% of the stock, with recent transactions indicating increased investments from various firms.

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

A number of other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 12th. Cfra Research raised shares of Valvoline to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $48.00 price target on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, September 26th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.62.

Valvoline Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NYSE VVV traded up $0.23 on Friday, reaching $34.06. 342,403 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,711,555. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.33 billion, a PE ratio of 15.85 and a beta of 1.18. 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 company has a 50 day moving average of $37.51 and a 200 day moving average of $36.39.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.46 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $439.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.35 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.43% and a return on equity of 84.85%. Valvoline's revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.45 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CFO J Kevin Willis acquired 12,725 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $39.41 per share, with a total value of $501,492.25. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 12,725 shares in the company, valued at approximately $501,492.25. This represents a ∞ increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. IFP Advisors Inc increased its holdings in Valvoline by 24.9% during the 1st quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 2,832 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 565 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 101.5% in the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 2,170 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $76,000 after buying an additional 1,093 shares during the last quarter. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the first quarter valued at $316,000. GSA Capital Partners LLP bought a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at $865,000. Finally, Inspire Investing LLC grew its holdings in Valvoline by 8.0% during the 2nd quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 12,779 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $484,000 after acquiring an additional 946 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

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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