Mizuho Issues Pessimistic Forecast for Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Stock Price

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) had its price target dropped by investment analysts at Mizuho from $46.00 to $42.00 in a report issued on Monday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “outperform” rating on the basic materials company’s stock. Mizuho’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 17.29% from the company’s previous close.

Several other analysts also recently weighed in on VVV. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target 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. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $52.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Stephens assumed coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Tuesday, October 15th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $49.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 20th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $45.33.

Valvoline Trading Down 0.1 %

NYSE VVV opened at $35.81 on Monday. The stock has a market cap of $4.59 billion, a PE ratio of 22.11 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’s 50-day moving average price is $39.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $41.17. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.77.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 25th. The stock was bought 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 of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,044,261.50. This trade represents a 60.84 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CTO Robert Travis Dobbins sold 1,914 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total transaction of $76,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief technology officer now owns 14,956 shares in the company, valued at $598,240. The trade was a 11.35 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its position in Valvoline by 16.8% during the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 9,738,142 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $407,541,000 after acquiring an additional 1,398,310 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $171,436,000 after purchasing an additional 16,916 shares during the last quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 2.8% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. now owns 3,656,672 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $153,032,000 after purchasing an additional 100,305 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its position in Valvoline by 3.6% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,720,748 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $117,534,000 after buying an additional 94,673 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Valvoline by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $93,215,000 after buying an additional 54,545 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is 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.