Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) Downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. to Underweight

JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a report published on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have $35.00 price objective on the basic materials company’s stock, up from their prior price objective of $30.00.

Several other equities analysts have also weighed in on VVV. Zacks Research raised Valvoline from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, January 19th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $40.00 price target on Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $43.00 price objective on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Truist Financial set a $38.00 target price on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Monday, January 26th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Valvoline currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $40.25.

Valvoline Trading Down 3.2%

Shares of NYSE VVV opened at $37.63 on Thursday. Valvoline has a fifty-two week low of $28.50 and a fifty-two week high of $41.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.16 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.31, a current ratio of 0.70 and a quick ratio of 0.57. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $31.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $34.34.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.37 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $461.80 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $466.87 million. Valvoline had a net margin of 4.91% and a return on equity of 69.71%. The business’s revenue for the quarter 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. On average, analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Valvoline

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees acquired 4,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, November 24th. The stock was bought at an average price of $30.82 per share, with a total value of $138,690.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 69,267 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,134,808.94. The trade was a 6.95% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total transaction of $102,016.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 17,251 shares in the company, valued at $549,961.88. This represents a 15.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada raised its position in 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 last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Valvoline by 4.6% during the 1st quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 858,584 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $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 holdings in shares of Valvoline by 4.5% in 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 valued at $16,974,000 after purchasing an additional 20,947 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 15.7% in 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 in the last quarter. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS lifted its position in shares of Valvoline by 5.8% in the second 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 and hedge funds.

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).