Short Interest in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) Drops By 16.9%

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 6,060,000 shares, a decrease of 16.9% from the November 15th total of 7,290,000 shares. Approximately 4.8% of the company's stock are sold short. Based on an average daily volume of 1,240,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.9 days.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Shares of VVV stock traded down $0.53 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $38.36. The stock had a trading volume of 1,331,787 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,741,993. The firm has a market cap of $4.92 billion, a PE ratio of 23.68 and a beta of 1.43. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $40.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $41.64. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $33.86 and a fifty-two week high of $48.26.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently weighed in on VVV. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price target for the company. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price objective 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. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Mizuho lowered their price target on Valvoline from $50.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus target price of $46.25.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, with a total value of $395,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.34% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 92.1% in the third quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 57.9% in the 2nd quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 728 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 267 shares in the last quarter. Ashton Thomas Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the second quarter valued at about $34,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the third quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position 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 during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.