Valvoline $VVV Shares Sold by Wasatch Advisors LP

Key Points

• Wasatch Advisors LP trimmed its Valvoline stake by 1.8% in Q1, selling 147,951 shares but still holding 7.996 million shares valued at about $269.3 million. Valvoline remains a major position for the fund, representing 1.8% of its portfolio.
• Valvoline reported strong quarterly results, posting EPS of $0.41 versus estimates of $0.35 and revenue of $503.8 million, topping analyst expectations. Revenue rose 25% year over year, and the company reiterated FY2026 EPS guidance of $1.65 to $1.75.
• Analysts remain generally constructive on the stock, with a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $40.93. Recent insider activity was mixed, including a director purchase and a separate insider sale under a pre-arranged trading plan.

Wasatch Advisors LP cut its position in shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 1.8% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,996,009 shares of the basic materials company's stock after selling 147,951 shares during the quarter. Valvoline makes up 1.8% of Wasatch Advisors LP's investment portfolio, making the stock its 14th largest position. Wasatch Advisors LP owned about 6.28% of Valvoline worth $269,306,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its position in Valvoline by 298.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 253,447 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $8,822,000 after acquiring an additional 189,842 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its stake in Valvoline by 4.6% in 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 during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its holdings in Valvoline by 4.5% in the 1st 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 acquiring an additional 20,947 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC raised its holdings in Valvoline by 15.7% in the 1st quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 124,071 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $4,319,000 after acquiring an additional 16,865 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Creative Planning lifted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 40.1% during the 2nd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 8,225 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $311,000 after purchasing an additional 2,353 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of Valvoline stock opened at $40.11 on Friday. Valvoline has a twelve month low of $28.50 and a twelve month high of $41.33. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.95 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.61. The business's fifty day moving average price is $34.92 and its 200 day moving average price is $34.06.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The basic materials company reported $0.41 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.35 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $503.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $495.67 million. Valvoline had a return on equity of 66.54% and a net margin of 5.03%.The firm's revenue was up 25.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $0.34 earnings per share. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.650-1.750 EPS. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.75 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on VVV shares. Barclays started coverage on Valvoline in a report on Thursday, May 28th. They set an "equal weight" rating and a $35.00 price objective on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, May 29th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Valvoline from $46.00 to $47.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus raised their target price on shares of Valvoline from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Eleven analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $40.93.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

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

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).

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