Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Stock Rating Upgraded by Stifel Nicolaus

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) was upgraded by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday, Marketbeat reports. The firm presently has a $42.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target suggests a potential upside of 28.22% from the stock’s current price.

Several other brokerages have also recently commented on VVV. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their target price on Valvoline from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Mizuho set a $40.00 price target on Valvoline in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded Valvoline from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $30.00 to $35.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Zacks Research upgraded Valvoline from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, January 19th. Finally, Weiss Ratings upgraded Valvoline from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $40.38.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.2%

VVV stock opened at $32.76 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 48.89 and a beta of 1.16. Valvoline has a 52-week low of $28.50 and a 52-week high of $41.33. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $35.17 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.97.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.03. Valvoline had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 69.71%. The firm had revenue of $461.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.87 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.32 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 11.5% on a year-over-year basis. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.600-1.700 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 4,312 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.55, for a total value of $166,227.60. Following the transaction, the insider owned 17,979 shares in the company, valued at $693,090.45. The trade was a 19.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in Valvoline by 298.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 253,447 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $8,822,000 after acquiring an additional 189,842 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 858,584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $29,887,000 after purchasing an additional 37,657 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 4.5% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 487,609 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $16,974,000 after purchasing an additional 20,947 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 15.7% in the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 124,071 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,319,000 after purchasing an additional 16,865 shares in the last quarter. Finally, ProShare Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Valvoline in the second quarter worth $213,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valvoline Company Profile

Valvoline (NYSE: VVV) is a leading global producer and distributor of automotive and industrial lubricants. The company’s portfolio spans engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, coolants and driveline products, all designed to help improve vehicle performance and longevity. Valvoline’s products are marketed under the Valvoline®, Valvoline NextGen® and Valvoline™ SynPower® brand names and are formulated to meet the stringent requirements of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy‐duty vehicles and off‐road applications.

In addition to its core lubricant business, Valvoline operates one of North America’s largest quick‐lubricant service networks through Valvoline Instant Oil Change℠ (VIOC).