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

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) had its price objective upped by investment analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from $46.00 to $48.00 in a report issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Royal Bank of Canada’s price target suggests a potential upside of 23.90% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 price target (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Stephens started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $45.11.

Valvoline Stock Down 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE VVV traded down $0.84 during trading on Friday, hitting $38.74. 1,883,575 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,577,178. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. The business’s fifty day moving average is $37.02 and its 200 day moving average is $39.96. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.95 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $33.90 and a fifty-two week high of $48.26.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a return on equity of 197.22% and a net margin of 13.06%. Equities research analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. MAI Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 11,624 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $486,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the period. Arizona State Retirement System lifted 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 valued at $1,285,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares during the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its position in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its position in 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 valued at $1,992,000 after buying an additional 313 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. raised its stake in Valvoline by 2.0% in the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 19,215 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $695,000 after buying an additional 373 shares during the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.