Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Receives Average Recommendation of “Buy” from Analysts

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has been given an average rating of “Buy” by the nine analysts that are presently covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year target price among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $47.75.

Several equities analysts have issued reports on VVV shares. Robert W. Baird began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 price target for the company. Citigroup raised their target price on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Baird R W raised Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $41.92 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $41.14 and a 200-day moving average of $42.06. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $29.15 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.40 billion, a PE ratio of 33.27 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 182.88% and a net margin of 10.45%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline announced that its board has authorized a share buyback program on Tuesday, July 30th that permits the company to buyback $400.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the basic materials company to reacquire up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Valvoline by 57.9% in the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Mather Group LLC. grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the second quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $61,000 after buying an additional 465 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.