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

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Baird R W to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on VVV. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Wednesday, June 12th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Robert W. Baird began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $48.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on shares of Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report 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 on the stock in a report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Valvoline from $45.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, July 19th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $46.25.

Valvoline Trading Up 0.1 %

Shares of VVV traded up $0.03 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $40.91. 731,825 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,222,865. The firm has a market cap of $5.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.47 and a beta of 1.43. 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 stock's fifty day moving average price is $43.17 and its 200 day moving average price is $42.30.

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 (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $421.00 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $425.17 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 10.45% and a return on equity of 182.88%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.43 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.54 earnings per share for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 267 shares during the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $34,000. GAMMA Investing LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Mather Group LLC. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,617.0% in 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 last quarter. Finally, Principal Securities Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $39,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.