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

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) gapped down prior to trading 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 trading hands.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

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

Valvoline Stock Down 3.6 %

The company has a market cap of $5.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.49 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $43.22 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.37. The company has a current ratio of 2.24, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02.

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, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.29. Valvoline had a net margin of 92.04% and a return on equity of 41.83%. The firm had revenue of $373.40 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $380.10 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.16 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in VVV. Park Place Capital Corp bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Principal Securities Inc. bought a new position in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in Valvoline during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $57,000. Finally, DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the third quarter worth $60,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.