JPMorgan Chase & Co. Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Stock

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) had its price objective lifted by equities research analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $37.00 to $38.00 in a report released on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “neutral” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s target price would suggest a potential downside of 4.52% from the stock’s current price.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently weighed in on VVV. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $38.00 price target (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Mizuho decreased their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective on the stock. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Valvoline Stock Performance

VVV stock traded up $0.17 during trading on Thursday, hitting $39.80. 181,558 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,630,525. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $33.90 and a 1 year high of $48.26. The company has a market cap of $5.11 billion, a PE ratio of 19.04 and a beta of 1.45. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $37.05 and its 200 day simple moving average is $39.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. On average, equities analysts expect that Valvoline will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Huntington National Bank increased its position in Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the third quarter worth about $41,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its position in Valvoline by 466.7% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $49,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other 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.