Stifel Nicolaus Initiates Coverage on Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Equities researchers at Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) in a report issued on Friday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target suggests a potential upside of 14.91% from the company’s current price.

VVV has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. Mizuho decreased their target price on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $45.78.

Valvoline Stock Up 0.8 %

NYSE VVV opened at $36.55 on Friday. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $33.86 and a 1 year high of $48.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.69 billion, a PE ratio of 22.56 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The business’s 50-day moving average is $40.31 and its 200 day moving average is $41.53.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the purchase, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VVV. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Valvoline by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% during the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in Valvoline by 46.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. 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.