Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Coverage Initiated by Analysts at TD Securities

TD Securities assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) in a research report released on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage issued a buy rating and a $40.00 price target on the basic materials company's stock.

Several other brokerages have also commented on VVV. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, February 7th. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "equal weight" rating and set a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Mizuho reduced their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Finally, TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Valvoline has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $43.67.

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Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV traded up $2.00 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $33.48. 650,383 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,335,946. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The firm has a market cap of $4.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.07 and a beta of 1.32. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $36.32 and a 200-day simple moving average of $38.19. Valvoline has a 1-year low of $31.05 and a 1-year high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 143.64% and a net margin of 16.34%. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O'daniel sold 6,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at $572,560.05. This represents a 28.16 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth about $54,114,000. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% in the fourth quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $152,726,000 after purchasing an additional 1,096,486 shares during the period. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its holdings in Valvoline by 11.1% in the 4th quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $391,405,000 after buying an additional 1,080,114 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC increased its position in Valvoline by 653.5% in the 4th quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 1,147,254 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $41,508,000 after acquiring an additional 994,988 shares during the period. Finally, Champlain Investment Partners LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at $35,051,000. 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.