Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Given Equal Weight Rating at Morgan Stanley

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating reissued by equities researchers at Morgan Stanley in a note issued to investors on Tuesday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $38.00 price objective on the basic materials company’s stock, down from their previous price objective of $42.00. Morgan Stanley’s target price indicates a potential upside of 4.90% from the company’s previous close.

Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on VVV. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens began coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird cut their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 target price for the company. Three 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 company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $44.89.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.7 %

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $36.23 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $4.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.36 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a 1 year low of $33.86 and a 1 year high of $48.26. The company’s fifty day moving average is $38.02 and its two-hundred day moving average is $40.68.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In other news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on 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 transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. The trade was 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 corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its stake in Valvoline by 30.6% in the 2nd quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 12,876 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $556,000 after buying an additional 3,018 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 9.5% during the 2nd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 10,118 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $436,000 after purchasing an additional 879 shares during the last quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the second quarter valued at $1,828,000. Evergreen Capital Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Evergreen Capital Management LLC now owns 6,292 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $272,000 after acquiring an additional 359 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of Montreal Can raised its stake in Valvoline by 138.6% during the second quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 57,301 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $2,480,000 after purchasing an additional 33,284 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

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.