Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Lifted to Strong-Buy at Baird R W

Baird R W upgraded shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) to a strong-buy rating in a report published on Thursday morning, Zacks.com reports.

Several other research analysts also recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday. They set an outperform rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. They issued an overweight rating and a $49.00 target price for the company. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $46.25.

Valvoline Stock Performance

NYSE VVV opened at $40.91 on Thursday. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $29.15 and a 52-week high of $48.26. The company has a fifty day moving average of $43.17 and a 200-day moving average of $42.38. The company has a market capitalization of $5.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.47 and a beta of 1.43. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 0.73.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.48 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 182.88% and a net margin of 10.45%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.43 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Blue Trust Inc. increased its position in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% during the second quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 267 shares during the period. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Mather Group LLC. grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 807 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 760 shares during the period. GAMMA Investing LLC bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

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.