Morgan Stanley Reiterates Equal Weight Rating for Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

Morgan Stanley reiterated their equal weight rating on shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) in a research report report published on Tuesday, Marketbeat reports. The firm currently has a $38.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock, down from their previous price target of $42.00.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the company. Stephens initiated 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. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their price target on Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird dropped their price target on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.89.

Valvoline Stock Up 1.1 %

VVV stock opened at $36.35 on Tuesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.66 billion, a PE ratio of 22.44 and a beta of 1.45. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $37.63 and its 200-day moving average is $40.56. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $33.86 and a twelve month high of $48.26.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

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

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 92.1% during the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 302 shares during the period. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 1,050 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in Valvoline by 83.0% during the third quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,332 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 604 shares in the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 46.5% during the third quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 465 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.