Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Receives $47.75 Average PT from Analysts

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) has been assigned an average recommendation of “Buy” from the nine analysts that are currently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 1 year price target among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $47.75.

VVV has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Robert W. Baird started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $48.00 target price for the company. Stephens began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Baird R W upgraded shares of Valvoline to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 15th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, July 19th.

Valvoline Stock Down 2.8 %

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $40.45 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $41.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $42.02. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $29.15 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. The company has a market cap of $5.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.10 and a beta of 1.45.

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

Valvoline announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, July 30th that allows the company to buyback $400.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the basic materials company to reacquire up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter worth approximately $369,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 10.6% during the 1st quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 6,478 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $289,000 after purchasing an additional 621 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 10.5% in the 1st quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,414 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $732,000 after buying an additional 1,565 shares during the period. Capital Insight Partners LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 9.1% in the 1st quarter. Capital Insight Partners LLC now owns 85,851 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $3,826,000 after buying an additional 7,150 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Park Place Capital Corp raised its stake in Valvoline by 176.9% during the 1st quarter. Park Place Capital Corp now owns 1,886 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $84,000 after buying an additional 1,205 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.