Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Shares Up 8.6% Following Strong Earnings

Shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) shot up 8.6% on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The stock traded as high as $36.38 and last traded at $36.1450. 979,961 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 50% from the average session volume of 1,965,430 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.29.

The basic materials company reported $0.37 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.34 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $461.80 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $466.87 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 69.71% and a net margin of 4.91%.Valvoline’s quarterly revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.32 EPS. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.600-1.700 EPS.

Trending Headlines about Valvoline

Here are the key news stories impacting Valvoline this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 earnings topped expectations — Valvoline reported $0.37 EPS vs. consensus $0.34 and revenue rose ~11.5% year-over-year, signaling continued top-line momentum and margin expansion. Press Release / Slide Deck
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Wells Fargo raised its price target to $40 and moved to an “overweight” stance, providing incremental buy-side support and signaling upside vs. the current price. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings-call color emphasized strong sales growth, strategic expansion of service locations and progress integrating the Breeze business — items investors view as validating the growth plan. Earnings Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: FY‑2026 guidance was set to $1.60–$1.70 EPS (consensus ~$1.67), which is essentially in line with Street expectations — supportive but not a material beat. Quarterly Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley maintained a Hold with a $40 target, noting Breeze integration and fundamentals are largely priced in — suggests upside may be limited absent further operational beats. TipRanks / Morgan Stanley
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed the consensus ($461.8M vs. ~$466.9M), which could temper upside if future quarters show similar shortfalls. Zacks
• Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet and valuation considerations: the company carries elevated leverage and a rich P/E multiple, which raises sensitivity to any slowdown in execution or margin compression (these longer‑term risks may cap investor enthusiasm).

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and set a $44.00 target price on shares of Valvoline in a report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Mizuho set a $40.00 target price on Valvoline in a report on Thursday. Citigroup raised their price objective on Valvoline from $34.00 to $37.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Valvoline from $38.00 to $30.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 20th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $39.94.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Valvoline news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, November 24th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $30.82 per share, for a total transaction of $138,690.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer owned 69,267 shares in the company, valued at $2,134,808.94. This trade represents a 6.95% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total value of $102,016.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 17,251 shares in the company, valued at $549,961.88. The trade was a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valvoline

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Royal Bank of Canada grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 298.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 253,447 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $8,822,000 after buying an additional 189,842 shares during the period. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 4.6% during the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 858,584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $29,887,000 after acquiring an additional 37,657 shares in the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 4.5% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 487,609 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $16,974,000 after purchasing an additional 20,947 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 15.7% during the first quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 124,071 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $4,319,000 after purchasing an additional 16,865 shares during the period. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 5.8% in the 2nd quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS now owns 25,500 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $966,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares in the last quarter. 96.13% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Valvoline Trading Up 3.3%

The firm has a market cap of $4.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.90 and a beta of 1.19. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $31.26 and its 200-day moving average is $34.29. The company has a current ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.31.

About Valvoline

Valvoline (NYSE: VVV) is a leading global producer and distributor of automotive and industrial lubricants. The company’s portfolio spans engine oils, gear oils, transmission fluids, greases, coolants and driveline products, all designed to help improve vehicle performance and longevity. Valvoline’s products are marketed under the Valvoline®, Valvoline NextGen® and Valvoline™ SynPower® brand names and are formulated to meet the stringent requirements of passenger cars, light trucks, heavy‐duty vehicles and off‐road applications.

In addition to its core lubricant business, Valvoline operates one of North America’s largest quick‐lubricant service networks through Valvoline Instant Oil Change℠ (VIOC).