Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) have received a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten research firms that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, six have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price objective among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $44.89.

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird cut their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stephens began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at approximately $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. MAI Capital Management increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 2.4% during the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $486,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. grew its stake in shares of 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 buying an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its position in Valvoline by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 47,602 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,992,000 after buying an additional 313 shares in the last quarter. Park Place Capital Corp raised its stake in Valvoline by 29.3% during the third quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,608 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $67,000 after buying an additional 364 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 19,215 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $695,000 after acquiring an additional 373 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV stock opened at $37.07 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $37.23 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $40.28. 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 stock has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a one year low of $33.86 and a one year high of $48.26.

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.