Brokerages Set Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) PT at $42.75

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the nine analysts that are covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and five have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $42.75.

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 13th. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, March 19th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $50.00 price target on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Valvoline from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their price objective for the company from $37.00 to $44.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Valvoline from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at $31,165,000. Oak Thistle LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth about $1,060,000. Cerity Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,049,000. First Hawaiian Bank raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 368.1% in the fourth quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 48,622 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,827,000 after buying an additional 38,235 shares during the period. Finally, Scharf Investments LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 9.0% during the 4th quarter. Scharf Investments LLC now owns 2,655,463 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $99,792,000 after acquiring an additional 218,508 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Stock Up 2.5 %

Shares of VVV stock opened at $43.62 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02, a current ratio of 2.24 and a quick ratio of 2.14. Valvoline has a one year low of $29.15 and a one year high of $45.37. The company’s fifty day moving average price is $43.14 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.14. The company has a market capitalization of $5.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.42 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.29. The business had revenue of $373.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $380.10 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 41.83% and a net margin of 92.04%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.16 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.