Valvoline is a best-in-class name that investors should snap up, according to Goldman Sachs. Analyst Mark Jordan upgraded the automotive maintenance retailer to buy from neutral. Jordan’s $45 price target suggests about 31% upside over Monday’s closing level. “Valvoline is a best-in-class operator that competes in a highly-fragmented market that benefits from non-discretionary, needs-based demand and is positioned well in the current macro environment,” Jordan wrote to clients in a Tuesday note. Jordan said Valvoline has limited impact to tariffs. He added that the current valuation is being hurt by narratives around the company that should be mitigated in the forthcoming quarters. The “crux” of Jordan’s thesis is that Valvoline’s refranchising actions will create more value than the market has priced into the stock. On top of that, Jordan said the company has a long-term growth outlook that the analyst described as both “attractive” and “intact.” Jordan also pointed out the Breeze Autocare acquisition agreement. If Breeze operations run at similar metrics to a mature Valvoline store, he said the company could see a purchase multiple of five-times over three years. Most analysts have a buy-equivalent rating, according to LSEG. Firm data shows that Jordan’s price target is only a few dollars short of matching the current high on Wall Street. Shares ticked 0.6% higher before the bell on Tuesday following the upgrade. The stock has slid around 5% in 2025.
