Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Research Coverage Started at Stifel Nicolaus

Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) in a report released on Friday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. The brokerage issued a hold rating and a $42.00 target price on the basic materials company’s stock.

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

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV opened at $36.55 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $40.31 and a two-hundred day moving average of $41.53. The stock has a market cap of $4.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.56 and a beta of 1.43. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

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

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of VVV. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline during the second quarter valued at approximately $128,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Valvoline by 57.9% in the 2nd 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. Fifth Third Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $213,000. F M Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the second quarter valued at $11,992,000. Finally, Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 6.8% during the 2nd quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. now owns 11,485 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $496,000 after acquiring an additional 731 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.