Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) was upgraded by research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday,Zacks.com reports.

VVV has been the topic of several other reports. Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $46.00 target price on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, May 8th. New Street Research set a $47.00 price target on Valvoline in a research report on Monday. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Valvoline from $42.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Valvoline from $42.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.50.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV opened at $38.98 on Tuesday. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $28.50 and a 1 year high of $41.33. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $36.92 and its 200 day simple moving average is $35.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a PE ratio of 53.40 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.73.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $503.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $495.67 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 5.03% and a return on equity of 66.54%. Valvoline’s revenue for the quarter was up 25.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.34 earnings per share. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.75 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In related news, Director Richard Joseph Freeland bought 3,100 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $32.37 per share, with a total value of $100,347.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 16,112 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $521,545.44. This represents a 23.82% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, CFO J Kevin Willis bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 14th. The stock was bought at an average price of $31.80 per share, with a total value of $318,000.00. Following the purchase, the chief financial officer owned 32,725 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,040,655. This represents a 44.00% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders bought a total of 14,100 shares of company stock valued at $450,877 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC acquired a new stake in Valvoline in the first quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 1,621.3% during 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 purchasing an additional 989 shares in the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Valvoline during the first quarter worth $42,000. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 39.9% in the second quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,435 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 409 shares during the period. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 90.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 691 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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).