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

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) was downgraded by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from a “neutral” rating to an “underweight” rating in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a $35.00 price target on the basic materials company’s stock, up from their prior price target of $30.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co.‘s price objective points to a potential downside of 9.97% from the company’s current price.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on VVV. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price objective on Valvoline from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Robert W. Baird decreased their target price on shares of Valvoline from $44.00 to $40.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, November 20th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of Valvoline in a report on Monday, January 26th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Valvoline from $38.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $43.00 price objective on shares of Valvoline in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $40.25.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of VVV opened at $38.88 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $31.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.31. Valvoline has a 12-month low of $28.50 and a 12-month high of $41.33. The stock has a market cap of $4.95 billion, a PE ratio of 58.03 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.31.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The basic materials company reported $0.37 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.03. Valvoline had a return on equity of 69.71% and a net margin of 4.91%.The company had revenue of $461.80 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $466.87 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.32 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 11.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Valvoline has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.600-1.700 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Valvoline will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Valvoline

In other news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 4,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 24th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $30.82 per share, for a total transaction of $138,690.00. Following the acquisition, the chief executive officer directly owned 69,267 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,134,808.94. This trade represents a 6.95% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed 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 company’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $31.88, for a total transaction of $102,016.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 17,251 shares in the company, valued at approximately $549,961.88. The trade was a 15.65% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 0.66% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valvoline

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in shares of Valvoline in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its holdings in Valvoline by 1,621.3% during the third quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 1,050 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 989 shares during the last quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd purchased a new stake in Valvoline in the 3rd quarter valued at about $39,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Valvoline in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $43,000. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 90.1% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,458 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 691 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% 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).