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

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)’s stock price 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 trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

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

Valvoline Stock Down 0.6 %

The company has a market cap of $5.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.21 and a beta of 1.45. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $43.20 and a two-hundred day moving average of $38.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 24.02, a quick ratio of 2.14 and a current ratio of 2.24.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 92.04% and a return on equity of 41.83%. The firm had revenue of $388.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $390.75 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.23 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.8% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.61 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Midwest Professional Planners LTD. lifted its holdings in Valvoline by 18.3% in the 1st quarter. Midwest Professional Planners LTD. now owns 6,935 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $309,000 after buying an additional 1,071 shares during the period. SageView Advisory Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline in the 1st quarter worth about $238,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 4.3% in the 1st quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 196,353 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $8,751,000 after purchasing an additional 8,076 shares during the period. Advisors Preferred LLC bought a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at about $1,636,000. Finally, US Bancorp DE raised its stake in Valvoline by 13.2% in the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 41,132 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,833,000 after buying an additional 4,800 shares in the last quarter. 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.