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

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

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a 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 on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus started coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They issued a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $44.89.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $36.23 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $4.65 billion, a PE ratio of 22.36 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $33.86 and a 52 week high of $48.26. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $38.02 and its 200-day simple moving average is $40.68.

Insider Activity

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares in the company, valued at $1,523,285.92. The trade was a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Wasatch Advisors LP increased its stake in Valvoline by 16.8% in the third quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $407,541,000 after purchasing an additional 1,398,310 shares during the last quarter. Sculptor Capital LP raised its stake in Valvoline by 187.6% during the 2nd quarter. Sculptor Capital LP now owns 1,879,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $81,194,000 after acquiring an additional 1,226,000 shares in the last quarter. Geneva Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the third quarter valued at $32,670,000. Fiera Capital Corp acquired a new position in Valvoline in the third quarter valued at $25,538,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth about $17,340,000. Hedge funds and other 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.