Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Now Covered by Stephens

Research analysts at Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) in a research note issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price target on the basic materials company's stock. Stephens' price target points to a potential upside of 18.13% from the company's previous close.

VVV has been the subject of several other reports. Wells Fargo & Company decreased 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 lowered their target price on Valvoline from $54.00 to $48.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, August 8th. Robert W. Baird initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday, August 15th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $48.00 price objective for the company. Citigroup boosted their target price 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. Finally, Baird R W raised Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $47.75.

Valvoline Trading Up 0.6 %

Valvoline stock traded up $0.25 during midday trading on Tuesday, hitting $41.48. 1,046,555 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,201,855. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.34 billion, a PE ratio of 32.71 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $40.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $42.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 10.57. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $29.15 and a 52 week high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) 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). Valvoline had a return on equity of 182.88% and a net margin of 10.45%. The business had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $425.17 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.43 EPS. The business's quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.53 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline declared that its board has initiated a share repurchase program on Tuesday, July 30th that permits the company to repurchase $400.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the basic materials company to repurchase up to 7.6% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's management believes its shares are undervalued.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Inspire Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth approximately $237,000. Congress Asset Management Co. MA increased its position in Valvoline by 6.5% during the 1st quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 3,499,430 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $155,970,000 after purchasing an additional 212,428 shares during the period. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its position in 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 valued at $47,359,000 after purchasing an additional 233,285 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 23.7% in the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 554,416 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $24,710,000 after purchasing an additional 106,151 shares during the period. Finally, Capstone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the first quarter worth about $1,846,000. 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.