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

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1 year price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $44.89.

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on VVV shares. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, January 21st. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target on the stock. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced 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.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.8 %

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $37.07 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $37.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.28. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $33.86 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company has a market cap of $4.76 billion, a PE ratio of 22.88 and a beta of 1.45.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In related news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in Valvoline by 16.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $407,541,000 after buying an additional 1,398,310 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp purchased a new position in Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $25,538,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at $17,340,000. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. lifted its stake in Valvoline by 28.5% in the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,577,313 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $57,067,000 after purchasing an additional 349,778 shares in the last quarter. 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.