Mizuho Cuts Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Price Target to $42.00

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) had its target price trimmed by Mizuho from $46.00 to $42.00 in a research note published on Monday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an outperform rating on the basic materials company’s stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. 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 objective on the stock. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 20th. Stifel Nicolaus assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research note on Friday, December 20th. They set a “hold” rating and a $42.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Valvoline has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $45.33.

Valvoline Stock Performance

Valvoline stock opened at $34.92 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $4.48 billion, a PE ratio of 21.56 and a beta of 1.45. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $33.86 and a 12 month high of $48.26. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $38.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.04. 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 at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer now directly owns 14,956 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $598,240. This trade represents a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Charles M. Sonsteby acquired 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 25th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $39.50 per share, for a total transaction of $395,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Rhumbline Advisers grew its position in Valvoline by 3.2% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 419,267 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $18,112,000 after buying an additional 13,168 shares during the last quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 27,158 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,173,000 after acquiring an additional 537 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 34,481 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $1,490,000 after acquiring an additional 544 shares during the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the second quarter worth $270,000. Finally, Quest Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the second quarter valued at $856,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.