Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Price Target Raised to $48.00 at Royal Bank of Canada

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) had its price objective increased by Royal Bank of Canada from $46.00 to $48.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an "outperform" rating on the basic materials company's stock. Royal Bank of Canada's target price suggests a potential upside of 19.71% from the stock's current price.

VVV has been the topic of a number of other reports. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They set a "hold" rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Stephens started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an "equal weight" rating and set a $38.00 price objective (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $45.11.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.2 %

VVV traded down $0.09 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $40.10. The stock had a trading volume of 1,603,050 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,662,017. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $37.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.19 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $33.90 and a 1-year high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.64 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was bought at an average price of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of Valvoline 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 transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. MAI Capital Management boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.4% during the 3rd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $486,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 35,530 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,285,000 after buying an additional 281 shares during the period. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the period. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 47,602 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $1,992,000 after buying an additional 313 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 10.9% during the 4th quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 3,548 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 349 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company's stock.

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.