Valvoline Inc.
- Open
- 39.30
- Day high
- 39.78
- Day low
- 38.78
- Prev close
- 39.66
- Volume
- 1.3M
- Mkt cap
- $5.0B
- P/E (TTM)
- 59.0
- EPS (TTM)
- $0.67
- P/B
- 14.3
- P/S
- 2.7
- Yield
- —
- Per share
- —
- ▲Insiders net buying $337K over the last 3 months (3 open-market buys, 1 sale)
- ◆Cluster buying — multiple insiders bought within days
- 🏛Institutions mixed (13F)
Valvoline Inc. (VVV) is a Energy company listed on NYSE. The stock is up 1% over the past year. Over the trailing 3 months, insiders filed 3 open-market buys and 1 sale (SEC Form 4).
Valvoline Inc. (VVV) financials & analyst ratings
Fundamentals (TTM)
Analyst consensus · 6 analysts
Source: exchange market data + company filings. Figures are trailing-twelve-month or as most recently reported. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
VVV earnings date, history & EPS estimates
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | $0.35 | $0.41 | +17.1% | $504M | +1.6% |
| Feb 4, 2026 | $0.34 | $0.37 | +8.8% | $462M | -6.6% |
| Nov 19, 2025 | $0.47 | $0.45 | -3.8% | $454M | -0.1% |
| Aug 6, 2025 | $0.46 | $0.47 | +2.2% | $439M | -3.7% |
| May 8, 2025 | $0.36 | $0.34 | -5.6% | $403M | -8.1% |
| Feb 6, 2025 | $0.31 | $0.32 | +3.2% | $414M | +3.6% |
| Nov 19, 2024 | $0.42 | $0.46 | +9.5% | $436M | +0.6% |
| Feb 6, 2024 | $0.29 | $0.29 | +0.0% | $373M | -4.4% |
| Nov 9, 2023 | $0.41 | $0.39 | -4.9% | $390M | +0.3% |
| Feb 7, 2023 | $0.22 | $0.16 | -27.3% | $333M | -1.4% |
| Nov 15, 2022 | $0.56 | $0.59 | +5.4% | $335M | -65.4% |
| Aug 3, 2022 | $0.57 | $0.58 | +1.8% | $957M | +2.4% |
VVV insider trading activity (SEC Form 4)
| Date | Insider | Type | Shares | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 26, 2026 | Caldwell Jonathan L.officer: Chief People Officer | Sell | 2,851 | $40.00 |
| Jun 26, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 24 | — |
| Jun 12, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 25 | — |
| Jun 3, 2026 | WILLIS J KEVINofficer: Chief Financial Officer | Tax | 1,768 | $33.94 |
| Jun 3, 2026 | WILLIS J KEVINofficer: Chief Financial Officer | Option | 3,876 | $33.94 |
| May 29, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 28 | — |
| May 18, 2026 | Slater Jennifer Lynndirector | Buy | 1,000 | $32.53 |
| May 15, 2026 | Freeland Richard Josephdirector | Buy | 3,100 | $32.37 |
| May 15, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 30 | — |
| May 15, 2026 | WILLIS J KEVINofficer: Chief Financial Officer | Buy | 10,000 | $31.80 |
| May 1, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 58 | — |
| Apr 3, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 29 | — |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Denny Jordan M.officer: Chief Accounting Officer | Tax | 1,195 | $34.09 |
| Apr 2, 2026 | Denny Jordan M.officer: Chief Accounting Officer | Option | 3,543 | — |
| Mar 20, 2026 | Flees Lori Anndirector, officer: President & CEO | Grant | 29 | — |
Source: VVV SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jun 26, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
See the full VVV insider & 13F page →Valvoline Inc. company profile
Overview
Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) is an automotive services company that operates quick-lube oil change centers across North America. Founded in 1866 as a petroleum products company, Valvoline transformed into a pure-play automotive services retailer in 2023 when it sold its Global Products business (lubricant manufacturing) for $2.65 billion. The company now focuses exclusively on operating and franchising Valvoline Instant Oil Change service centers, which provide quick oil changes and automotive maintenance services to consumers and fleet customers. Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, Valvoline has grown its network to over 2,000 locations and continues expanding through both company-owned stores and franchise partnerships.
Business
Valvoline operates in the automotive aftermarket services industry, specifically the quick-lube segment that provides rapid oil changes and basic automotive maintenance. The company's core offering is the Valvoline Instant Oil Change service, which allows customers to remain in their vehicles while technicians perform oil changes and other maintenance services in approximately 15 minutes. The quick-lube industry serves as a convenient alternative to traditional automotive service centers and dealerships for routine maintenance. Customers drive into service bays where trained technicians change engine oil, replace filters, top off fluids, and perform basic inspections without requiring appointments or extended wait times. This model appeals to time-conscious consumers who want professional automotive care without the inconvenience of traditional service centers. Valvoline's business consists of a single primary segment following the 2023 divestiture of its manufacturing operations. The company operates through two main channels: company-owned stores (approximately 47% of locations) and franchised locations (approximately 53% of locations). The network includes over 2,000 stores operating under the Valvoline Instant Oil Change brand in the United States and Great Canadian Oil Change brand in Canada. Beyond basic oil changes, Valvoline locations offer additional services including air filter replacement, cabin filter replacement, windshield wiper installation, fluid top-offs, battery replacement, and light bulb replacement. The company has been focusing on increasing penetration of these higher-margin non-oil change services to boost average transaction values. Additionally, Valvoline serves commercial fleet customers, which represents a growing segment with higher transaction values and represents less than 10% of total sales but is expanding rapidly.
Revenue model
Valvoline generates revenue primarily through service fees charged to customers for oil changes and automotive maintenance services. The company operates under a hybrid business model combining company-owned locations with franchise operations. Company-owned stores generate direct service revenue, while franchise locations provide ongoing royalty fees and initial franchise fees. The typical customer transaction centers around an oil change service, with average tickets ranging from approximately $50-80 depending on oil type and additional services. Revenue growth comes from several sources: increasing the number of service locations, growing same-store sales through higher customer traffic, increasing average transaction values through premium oil products and additional services, and expanding the higher-margin fleet business segment. The company's profitability faces several key margin drivers. Positive factors include the ability to charge premium prices for convenience and speed, opportunities to increase non-oil change service penetration (which carries higher margins), potential for operational efficiency improvements through technology and training, and the defensive nature of automotive maintenance spending. Negative pressures include labor cost inflation in a tight employment market, fluctuating costs of base oil and petroleum products, competitive pricing pressure from other quick-lube chains and traditional service providers, and potential economic downturns that could reduce discretionary automotive spending. The franchise model provides additional revenue stability through recurring royalty payments while reducing capital requirements for expansion. Franchisees pay initial fees and ongoing royalties based on gross sales, creating a relatively predictable income stream that scales with network growth. The company has been selectively refranchising some company-owned locations to well-capitalized partners who can accelerate market development while maintaining brand standards.
Competitive moat
Valvoline's competitive moat is moderate and primarily based on brand recognition and operational scale advantages rather than insurmountable barriers. The Valvoline brand, established in 1866, provides consumer trust and recognition in automotive care, which helps attract customers in a fragmented market where many competitors operate under lesser-known regional brands. The company benefits from network effects and operational scale through its 2,000+ location network, which enables economies of scale in purchasing, marketing, training, and technology development. This scale allows for more efficient advertising spend and better negotiating power with suppliers. The quick-lube format itself provides some defensive characteristics, as routine maintenance tends to be less discretionary than other automotive services, and the convenience factor creates customer loyalty. However, the moat faces significant challenges. The quick-lube industry has relatively low barriers to entry, with modest capital requirements to establish competing locations. Major competitors like Jiffy Lube (owned by Shell) and Mobil 1 Lube Express have similar scale advantages and brand recognition. Traditional automotive service centers, dealerships, and even big-box retailers like Walmart provide competitive pressure on pricing and convenience. The most significant long-term threat comes from electric vehicle adoption, which could fundamentally disrupt the business model. EVs require significantly less maintenance than internal combustion engines, with no need for oil changes and fewer moving parts requiring service. While EV adoption is gradual and the company is piloting EV-related services, this represents an existential challenge to the core business model over the next decade. The company's moat is therefore vulnerable to technological disruption, making it more of a cyclical business dependent on execution rather than a business with durable competitive advantages.
Risks & safety
The margin of safety appears limited based on current financial metrics and business fundamentals. • **Leverage and Solvency**: High debt-to-equity ratio of 5.5x creates financial risk, though this partially reflects the capital structure following the Global Products divestiture and share buyback program. Current ratio of 0.73x indicates potential liquidity constraints. • **Cash Generation**: Inconsistent free cash flow generation with recent quarters showing negative FCF (-$4.6M in Q2 2025, -$12.4M in Q1 2025), though operating cash flow remains positive at $47M-$41M quarterly. • **Valuation Metrics**: Trading at elevated multiples with P/E of 29.5x and EV/EBITDA of 14.9x, suggesting limited downside protection. Price-to-book ratio of 17.9x indicates significant premium to tangible assets. • **Other Considerations**: Business faces secular headwinds from EV adoption, though timeline remains uncertain. Defensive characteristics of maintenance spending provide some stability, but high fixed costs and labor inflation create margin pressure during economic downturns.
Recent development
Over the past few years, Valvoline has undergone a significant strategic transformation from a diversified oil and lubricants company to a pure-play automotive services retailer. The most significant development was the 2023 sale of the Global Products business for $2.65 billion, which eliminated the manufacturing and distribution of lubricants to focus entirely on retail services. Following this divestiture, the company returned substantial capital to shareholders through a comprehensive share buyback program, repurchasing approximately $1.5 billion in shares. This capital allocation strategy continued with a new $400 million share repurchase authorization announced in 2024, reflecting management's confidence in the business model and belief that shares are undervalued. The company has pursued aggressive network expansion, adding 158 new stores in fiscal 2024 and targeting 160-185 new locations in fiscal 2025. This growth strategy combines both company-owned expansion and franchise development, with selective refranchising of existing company-owned stores to well-capitalized partners who can accelerate market penetration in their regions. Operational improvements have focused on enhancing customer experience and increasing service penetration beyond basic oil changes. The company has invested in technology infrastructure, including completing a customer marketing database cloud transition and implementing HR systems. These investments aim to improve operational efficiency and customer retention while enabling better data analytics for marketing and operations. The fleet business segment has emerged as a key growth driver, with transaction growth exceeding 14% CAGR over three years. This B2B segment offers higher transaction values and represents an underserved market opportunity. Additionally, the company has been piloting services for electric vehicles, recognizing the need to adapt to changing automotive technology, though this remains in early experimental stages.
VVV company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.
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