Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Hold”

StockNews.com upgraded shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report published on Friday morning.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $39.00 to $36.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 10th. Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 10th. TheStreet cut Valvoline from a b rating to a c rating in a report on Wednesday, August 9th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $38.00 to $37.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 10th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $37.00 price objective on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Monday, September 11th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $39.43.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $34.53 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 7.83, a current ratio of 2.59 and a quick ratio of 2.49. Valvoline has a one year low of $29.15 and a one year high of $39.67. The company has a market cap of $4.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.18 and a beta of 1.36. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $31.76 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.89.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 9th. The basic materials company reported $0.39 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $390.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.25 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 98.10% and a return on equity of 35.65%. Valvoline’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.59 EPS. Research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, SVP Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,700 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.53, for a total value of $57,001.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 10,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $348,141.99. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, Director Richard Joseph Freeland purchased 2,960 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 30th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $33.97 per share, with a total value of $100,551.20. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 13,012 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $442,017.64. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,700 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.53, for a total transaction of $57,001.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 10,383 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $348,141.99. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders purchased 17,839 shares of company stock worth $601,606. Company insiders own 0.99% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 15.9% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 9,875 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $312,000 after purchasing an additional 1,355 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 6.9% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 57,072 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,801,000 after acquiring an additional 3,687 shares during the last quarter. US Bancorp DE boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 47.0% during the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 21,610 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $682,000 after purchasing an additional 6,914 shares in the last quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 42.8% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 34,130 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,075,000 after purchasing an additional 10,224 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 5.7% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 26,908 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $849,000 after buying an additional 1,456 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.03% of the company’s stock.

About Valvoline

Valvoline Inc provides automotive services through retail stores in the United States and Canada. It offers cabin air filter, battery replacement, and tire rotation services for various vehicles. As of September 30, 2022, it operated 1,700 system-wide service center stores. The company was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.