Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Shares Gap Down to $44.21

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) gapped down before the market opened on Wednesday . The stock had previously closed at $44.21, but opened at $40.20. Valvoline shares last traded at $42.32, with a volume of 647,167 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

VVV has been the subject of a number of research reports. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $50.00 target price for the company. Citigroup boosted their target price on Valvoline from $36.00 to $45.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 13th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on Valvoline from $43.00 to $45.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Valvoline from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and increased their target price for the stock from $37.00 to $44.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $42.75.

Valvoline Trading Down 3.6 %

The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $43.22 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.49 and a beta of 1.45.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.29. The business had revenue of $373.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $380.10 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 92.04% and a return on equity of 41.83%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.16 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of VVV. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 20.3% in the fourth quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,876 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 316 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Valvoline by 23.1% during the fourth quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,940 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $73,000 after buying an additional 364 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 6.1% during the fourth quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 7,045 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $265,000 after acquiring an additional 403 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 3.5% during the third quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 12,738 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $411,000 after acquiring an additional 428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System lifted its stake in Valvoline by 1.2% in the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 37,559 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,211,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares during the period. 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.