diff --git a/hexrd/matrixutil.py b/hexrd/matrixutil.py
index b5000a109..d446d12e5 100644
--- a/hexrd/matrixutil.py
+++ b/hexrd/matrixutil.py
@@ -264,10 +264,10 @@ def vecMVCOBMatrix(R):
 
     for i in range(3):
         # Other two i values
-        i1, i2 = [k for k in range(3) if k!= i]
+        i1, i2 = [k for k in range(3) if k != i]
         for j in range(3):
             # Other two j values
-            j1, j2 = [k for k in range(3) if k!= j]
+            j1, j2 = [k for k in range(3) if k != j]
 
             T[:, i, j] = R[:, i, j] ** 2
             T[:, i, j + 3] = sqr2 * R[:, i, j1] * R[:, i, j2]
diff --git a/tests/test_matrix_utils.py b/tests/test_matrix_utils.py
index 3f9dd6622..510eb0f25 100644
--- a/tests/test_matrix_utils.py
+++ b/tests/test_matrix_utils.py
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 from hexrd import matrixutil as mutil
 
+
 def test_vec_mv_cob_matrix():
     np.random.seed(0)
     # Generate some random matrices
-    R = np.random.rand(20,3,3) * 2 - 1
+    R = np.random.rand(20, 3, 3) * 2 - 1
 
     T = np.zeros((len(R), 6, 6), dtype='float64')
     sqr2 = np.sqrt(2)
@@ -49,4 +50,4 @@ def test_vec_mv_cob_matrix():
 
     T2 = mutil.vecMVCOBMatrix(R)
 
-    assert np.allclose(T, T2)
\ No newline at end of file
+    assert np.allclose(T, T2)