Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Given New $44.00 Price Target at Stifel Nicolaus

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) had its target price upped by investment analysts at Stifel Nicolaus from $42.00 to $44.00 in a research report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Stifel Nicolaus’ price target would suggest a potential upside of 24.72% from the company’s current price.

VVV has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Wall Street Zen raised shares of Valvoline from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 7th. Stephens boosted their price target on Valvoline from $38.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, February 6th. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Truist Financial set a $38.00 target price on Valvoline in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a “buy” rating and issued a $46.00 price target on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $41.36.

Valvoline Price Performance

Valvoline stock traded down $0.34 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $35.28. The company had a trading volume of 135,833 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,054,882. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $34.27 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.17. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $28.50 and a 1 year high of $41.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.61. The company has a market capitalization of $4.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 47.72 and a beta of 1.03.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.35 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $503.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $495.67 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 66.54% and a net margin of 5.03%.The company’s revenue was up 25.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.34 EPS. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.73 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 4,312 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.55, for a total value of $166,227.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 17,979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $693,090.45. This trade represents a 19.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in VVV. Community Bank N.A. acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 1,621.3% in the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,050 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 989 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the third quarter valued at $39,000. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC bought a new position in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. grew its holdings in Valvoline by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,906 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $55,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

About Valvoline

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).