Analysts Set Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) PT at $46.25

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Buy" by the nine brokerages that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, seven have given a buy recommendation and one has assigned a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $46.25.

Several brokerages have commented on VVV. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Baird R W raised shares of Valvoline to a "strong-buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, August 15th.

Valvoline Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE:VVV traded down $0.53 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $38.36. 1,330,793 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,227,249. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.70 and a beta of 1.43. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $40.70 and a 200-day moving average price of $41.65. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $33.86 and a 1 year high of $48.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,523,285.92. This trade represents a 6.96 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This represents a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 1.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Wasatch Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $407,541,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398,310 shares during the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 187.6% in the second quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 1,879,500 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $81,194,000 after buying an additional 1,226,000 shares during the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter worth $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter valued at $25,538,000. Finally, F M Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 2nd quarter valued at $11,992,000. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Valvoline

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.