Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Earns Equal Weight Rating from Morgan Stanley

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating restated by stock analysts at Morgan Stanley in a research note issued on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a $38.00 price objective on the basic materials company’s stock, down from their prior price objective of $42.00. Morgan Stanley’s target price suggests a potential upside of 5.63% from the company’s current price.

VVV has been the topic of a number of other reports. Mizuho decreased their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. 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. Stephens started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price 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. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.89.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $35.98 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $33.86 and a 12-month high of $48.26. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.21 and a beta of 1.45. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $37.76 and a 200 day moving average of $40.59.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Monday, November 25th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $76,560.00. Following the sale, the chief technology officer now directly 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $171,436,000 after buying an additional 16,916 shares in the last quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 8.1% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors LLC now owns 422,989 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $17,702,000 after acquiring an additional 31,661 shares during the last quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. Holding AG purchased a new position in Valvoline in the third quarter worth about $4,628,000. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans increased its stake in Valvoline by 118.2% during the third quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 67,948 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,844,000 after acquiring an additional 36,814 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in Valvoline by 2.5% during the third quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Company Profile

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.