Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Receives Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Brokerages

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten research firms that are currently covering the stock, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $44.89.

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price for the company. Mizuho decreased their target price 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, Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st.

Valvoline Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of VVV stock opened at $36.86 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.73 billion, a PE ratio of 22.75 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $33.86 and a 1-year high of $48.26. The business has a 50-day moving average of $37.10 and a 200 day moving average of $39.98. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased 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 owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the acquisition, 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 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its stake in Valvoline by 16.8% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $407,541,000 after buying an additional 1,398,310 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the third quarter worth approximately $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp bought a new position in Valvoline in the third quarter worth approximately $25,538,000. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Valvoline by 766.6% in the fourth quarter. TimesSquare Capital Management LLC now owns 644,980 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $23,335,000 after buying an additional 570,550 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new position in Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth approximately $17,340,000. 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.