Valvoline's (VVV) "Equal Weight" Rating Reiterated at Morgan Stanley

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "equal weight" rating reissued by research analysts at Morgan Stanley in a report released on Tuesday, MarketBeat Ratings reports. They currently have a $38.00 target price on the basic materials company's stock, down from their prior target price of $42.00. Morgan Stanley's target price points to a potential upside of 4.22% from the company's previous close.

A number of other research firms have also issued reports on VVV. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus began coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday, December 20th. They set a "hold" rating and a $42.00 target price for the company. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Finally, Stephens started coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $49.00 price target on the stock. Three equities 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, Valvoline has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $44.89.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV traded up $0.24 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $36.46. The stock had a trading volume of 1,633,914 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,321,712. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $37.88 and its 200-day moving average price is $40.64. The company has a market capitalization of $4.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.51 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $33.86 and a 52 week high of $48.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77, a current ratio of 0.72 and a quick ratio of 0.61.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was bought at an average price 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 $1,044,261.50. The trade was a 60.84 % increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees purchased 2,500 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $39.64 per share, for a total transaction of $99,100.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 38,428 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,523,285.92. This represents a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Valvoline by 92.1% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 630 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 302 shares during the last quarter. Prospera Private Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 3rd quarter worth $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. increased its holdings 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 during the last quarter. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its position in shares of Valvoline by 46.5% during the 3rd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,465 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $61,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.