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

Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Buy" from the nine research firms that are currently covering the firm, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $47.75.

A number of research firms recently weighed in on VVV. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, July 19th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Stephens began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Baird R W upgraded shares of Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, August 15th.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of Valvoline stock traded down $0.17 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $41.72. 651,462 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,191,718. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $29.15 and a fifty-two week high of $48.26. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $41.14 and a 200 day simple moving average of $42.06. The company has a market cap of $5.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.11 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $421.00 million for 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%. Valvoline's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program 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 buy up to 7.6% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. UMB Bank n.a. raised its holdings in Valvoline by 92.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake 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 acquiring an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the second quarter valued at $34,000. Mather Group LLC. lifted its holdings in 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 buying an additional 760 shares during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $61,000 after purchasing an additional 465 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.