Balefire LLC Sells 64,456 Shares of Valvoline $VVV

Key Points

• Balefire LLC cut its Valvoline stake by 76.2%, selling 64,456 shares and retaining 20,120 shares valued at approximately $796,000. Institutional investors collectively own 96.13% of the company.
• Valvoline’s third-quarter results exceeded expectations, with adjusted EPS of $0.57 versus the $0.50 consensus and revenue up 24.1% year over year to $544.6 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and $42.56 target price, although fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $1.70–$1.75 and recent target reductions suggest limited near-term upside.

Balefire LLC lessened its stake in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 76.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 20,120 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 64,456 shares during the quarter. Balefire LLC's holdings in Valvoline were worth $796,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of VVV. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the first quarter worth approximately $28,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in Valvoline by 1,621.3% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,050 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $38,000 after buying an additional 989 shares during the last quarter. Cedar Mountain Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Valvoline during the 1st quarter valued at $42,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 90.1% during the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 691 shares during the period. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 20.3% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 1,906 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the period. 96.13% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, Director Jennifer Lynn Slater acquired 1,000 shares of Valvoline stock in a transaction on Friday, May 15th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $32.53 per share, with a total value of $32,530.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 1,000 shares in the company, valued at $32,530. The trade was a ∞ increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan L. Caldwell sold 2,851 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $40.00, for a total value of $114,040.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 20,918 shares in the company, valued at $836,720. This trade represents a 11.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have acquired 14,100 shares of company stock worth $450,877. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have issued reports on VVV. The Goldman Sachs Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 price target on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Citigroup reiterated a "neutral" rating on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Valvoline from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 21st. Finally, Stephens upped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $48.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Tuesday, July 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $42.56.

Key Headlines Impacting Valvoline

Here are the key news stories impacting Valvoline this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Valvoline reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.57 per share, exceeding the $0.50 analyst consensus, while revenue rose 24.1% year over year to $544.6 million, slightly above estimates. Earnings also improved from $0.47 per share in the prior-year quarter. Valvoline Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results
• Positive Sentiment: Broker sentiment remains favorable: TD Cowen maintained a Buy rating with a $45 target, while RBC maintained an Outperform rating with a $46 target. Both targets still imply substantial upside, although each was reduced from $47. Analyst price target updates
• Positive Sentiment: Valvoline’s franchise network continues expanding. Velocity Auto Care reached 50 Valvoline Instant Oil Change locations and plans 18 additional service centers through 2027, supporting long-term brand reach and potential royalty growth. Velocity Auto Care expansion
• Neutral Sentiment: Several brokerages collectively assign Valvoline an average “Moderate Buy” recommendation, indicating constructive sentiment but not an across-the-board bullish outlook. Valvoline brokerage recommendation
• Negative Sentiment: Management’s fiscal 2026 EPS guidance of $1.70–$1.75 has a midpoint below the $1.75 consensus estimate, while revenue guidance of approximately $2.1 billion is broadly in line. The guidance leaves limited room for an upside surprise. Valvoline earnings and guidance
• Negative Sentiment: The reductions in TD Cowen’s and RBC’s price targets, despite their retained bullish ratings, suggest analysts see less near-term upside following the earnings report. This cautious target-reset appears to be the main reason the stock is trading lower.

Valvoline Stock Down 3.5%

Shares of VVV stock opened at $35.70 on Friday. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $38.07 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $35.79. Valvoline has a 52 week low of $28.50 and a 52 week high of $41.33. The stock has a market cap of $4.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 44.62 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.77.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The basic materials company reported $0.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $544.60 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $543.21 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 65.12% and a net margin of 5.17%.The business's revenue was up 24.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.47 earnings per share. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.700-1.750 EPS. Analysts predict that Valvoline will post 1.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Valvoline Company Profile

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).

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