Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Trading Down 5.1% – What’s Next?

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) shares dropped 5.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $37.60 and last traded at $37.68. Approximately 877,561 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 1,665,098 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.68.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada raised their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley restated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a report on Tuesday, January 21st. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.40.

Valvoline Stock Down 0.2 %

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $37.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $39.53. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The firm has a market cap of $4.82 billion, a PE ratio of 18.14 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,004.9% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares in the last quarter. Centricity Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Valvoline in the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. ORG Partners LLC lifted its holdings 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 purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter valued at $49,000. 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.