Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Trading Down 5.1% – Should You Sell?

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)’s share price was down 5.1% during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $37.60 and last traded at $37.68. Approximately 877,561 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 47% from the average daily volume of 1,665,098 shares. The stock had previously closed at $39.68.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on VVV shares. Morgan Stanley reissued an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down previously from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. Robert W. Baird lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $48.00 to $46.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $44.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 20th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $44.40.

Valvoline Price Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $37.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.59. The company has a market cap of $4.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.26 and a beta of 1.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a current ratio of 0.70.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Charles M. Sonsteby bought 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction 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 completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 26,437 shares in the company, valued at $1,044,261.50. This represents a 60.84 % increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 27th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $39.64 per share, with a total value of $99,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now owns 38,428 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,523,285.92. This trade represents a 6.96 % increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Valvoline

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in VVV. Huntington National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 1,004.9% during the fourth quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 895 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 814 shares during the period. Centricity Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $36,000. Prospera Private Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the third quarter worth approximately $41,000. ORG Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 466.7% during the fourth quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 1,275 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 1,050 shares during the period. Finally, Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Valvoline during the fourth quarter worth approximately $49,000. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.