Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Coverage Initiated at TD Securities

Investment analysts at TD Securities assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) in a research report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. TD Securities’ target price suggests a potential upside of 15.69% from the stock’s current price.

VVV has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Mizuho reduced their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.67.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $34.57 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.64 and its 200 day simple moving average is $38.39. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $32.99 and a fifty-two week high of $48.27. The company has a market capitalization of $4.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 1.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.58.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total value of $224,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VVV. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter worth about $36,000. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 221.8% during the 1st quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,181 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $41,000 after buying an additional 814 shares during the last quarter. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new position in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at about $49,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.