Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Receives $47.75 Consensus Target Price from Analysts

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has been given an average rating of “Buy” by the nine analysts that are covering the firm, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $47.75.

Several brokerages have recently commented on VVV. Stephens began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target on the stock. Baird R W raised Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Robert W. Baird began coverage on Valvoline in a report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 target price for the company. Finally, Citigroup upped their target price on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Inspire Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the first quarter worth $237,000. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 28.1% during the 1st quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,062,580 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $47,359,000 after purchasing an additional 233,285 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 23.7% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 554,416 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $24,710,000 after buying an additional 106,151 shares during the last quarter. Capstone Investment Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the first quarter valued at about $1,846,000. Finally, Tidal Investments LLC grew its position in Valvoline by 97.6% during the first quarter. Tidal Investments LLC now owns 29,843 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,330,000 after buying an additional 14,739 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV stock opened at $41.48 on Thursday. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $29.15 and a fifty-two week high of $48.26. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $41.16 and its two-hundred day moving average is $42.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.62. The firm has a market cap of $5.34 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.92 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $421.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 182.88% and a net margin of 10.45%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.43 EPS. Analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline announced that its board has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to repurchase $400.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the basic materials company to reacquire up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

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.