Q3 FY2026
Filed Aug 5, 2026Valvoline Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results Delivers 24% top-line growth, 47 net store additions
Net revenues grew 24%, adjusted EBITDA increased 25%, system-wide SSS grew 8.0%, and the company raised its fiscal 2026 system-wide SSS growth outlook while narrowing several guidance ranges.
Key metrics
as reported| Metric | Value | q/q | y/y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net revenuesGAAP | $544.6 million | – | 24% |
| Operating incomeGAAP | $112.2 million | – | 18% |
| Income from continuing operationsGAAP | $65.0 million | – | 14% |
| Diluted earnings per shareGAAP | $0.51 | – | 16% |
| Adjusted diluted earnings per sharenon-GAAP | $0.57 | – | 21% |
| Adjusted EBITDAnon-GAAP | $162.4 million | – | 25% |
| System-wide store salesother | $1,053.9 million | – | 19% |
| System-wide same-store salesother | 8.0% | – | 8.0% |
| System-wide storesother | 2,456 | +47 | – |
| Company-operated storesother | 1,232 | +22 | – |
| Franchised storesother | 1,224 | +25 | – |
| Year-to-date operating cash flow from continuing operationsGAAP | $285 million | – | – |
| Year-to-date free cash flownon-GAAP | $112 million | – | an improvement of $93 million over the prior year |
| Cash and cash equivalentsGAAP | $84 million | – | – |
| Total debtGAAP | $1.6 billion | – | – |
fiscal 2026 outlook
- Revenue$2.05 - $2.1 billion
- NoteSystem-wide SSS growth: 7.5% - 8%
- NoteSystem-wide store additions: no change
- NoteAdjusted EBITDA: $550 - $560 million
- NoteAdjusted EPS: $1.70 - $1.75
- NoteCapital expenditures: $240 - $260 million
What drove it
- System-wide same-store sales growth of 8.0% benefited from pricing actions taken in the quarter.
- System-wide store sales increased 19% to $1.05 billion.
- System-wide net store additions totaled 47, comprising 25 franchise and 22 company-operated additions.
- Management cited solid margins and improved SG&A leverage.
Concerns
- Management identified increased finished lubricant costs and a changing supply and macro environment.
- Income from continuing operations grew 14%, below the 24% growth in net revenues.
- The company reported total debt of $1.6 billion.
What to watch
- Execution of pricing actions intended to mitigate increased finished lubricant costs.
- System-wide SSS performance against the updated fiscal 2026 outlook of 7.5% - 8%.
- Network expansion toward the fiscal 2026 outlook for system-wide store additions.
- Adjusted EBITDA delivery within the updated $550 - $560 million outlook.
- Capital expenditures within the updated $240 - $260 million outlook.
Balance sheet and cash flow
- Cash and cash equivalents balance of $84 million
- Total debt of $1.6 billion
- $50 million voluntary prepayment on the Term Loan A
- Year-to-date operating cash flow from continuing operations of $285 million
- Free cash flow of $112 million, an improvement of $93 million over the prior year
Analysis
Valvoline reported a strong third quarter for fiscal 2026. Net revenues were $544.6 million, up 24%, while system-wide store sales increased 19% to $1,053.9 million. System-wide SSS growth was 8.0%, and management said pricing actions taken during the quarter benefited that result. The store base also expanded by 47 net system-wide locations, ending the quarter with 2,456 system-wide stores.
Profit growth broadly tracked the top line. Operating income increased 18% to $112.2 million, income from continuing operations increased 14% to $65.0 million, and diluted EPS increased 16% to $0.51. Adjusted EBITDA increased 25% to $162.4 million and adjusted EPS increased 21% to $0.57. Management characterized the quarter as delivering solid margins and improved SG&A leverage, although the release did not provide reported gross-margin or operating-margin figures.
Pricing and network growth were the central reported drivers, while cost pressure remains the key operating issue. Management said it is managing increased finished lubricant costs through pricing actions and operational discipline. The company also cited a changing supply and macro environment. The difference between 24% net-revenue growth and 14% income-from-continuing-operations growth is an important reported comparison as lubricant costs and other expenses are managed.
Cash generation was positive on a year-to-date basis, with operating cash flow from continuing operations of $285 million and free cash flow of $112 million, an improvement of $93 million over the prior year. Valvoline ended the period with $84 million of cash and cash equivalents and $1.6 billion of total debt, reflecting a $50 million voluntary prepayment on the Term Loan A. No share repurchases or dividends were reported in the release.
For fiscal 2026, Valvoline raised its system-wide SSS outlook to 7.5% - 8% from 5% - 6.5% and lifted the low ends of its net-revenue, adjusted EBITDA, and adjusted EPS ranges. The company now expects net revenues of $2.05 - $2.1 billion, adjusted EBITDA of $550 - $560 million, and adjusted EPS of $1.70 - $1.75. Capital-expenditure guidance was reduced to $240 - $260 million from $250 - $280 million. The guidance update places continued pricing execution, lubricant-cost mitigation, store additions, and cash conversion at the center of the fiscal-year outlook.
Management, verbatim
We delivered another strong quarter, with sales and profit growth in line with our expectations.
Lori Flees, President & CEO
Top-line sales grew 24%, with system-wide same-store sales growth of 8.0%, benefiting from pricing actions taken in the quarter.
Lori Flees, President & CEO
We remain confident in the underlying strength of our business and our team's execution. As a result, we are narrowing our guidance ranges and raising full-year system-wide same-store sales expectations.
Lori Flees, President & CEO
Not in the filing
stated, not guessed- Prior-year and prior-quarter absolute values for net revenues, operating income, income from continuing operations, diluted EPS, adjusted EPS, adjusted EBITDA, system-wide store sales, system-wide SSS, store counts, cash, debt, and cash-flow metrics
- Gross profit and gross margin
- Operating margin and adjusted EBITDA margin
- Consolidated net income
- Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding
- Quarterly operating cash flow and quarterly free cash flow
- Free cash flow excluding growth capital expenditures
- Segment revenue and segment profitability
- Dividend declarations or payments
- Share repurchases
- Debt maturities, interest expense, and leverage ratio
- Fiscal 2026 gross-margin, operating-expense, and tax-rate guidance
- Comparable reported fiscal 2026 actual results for assessment against the prior full-year outlook
AlphaAI analysis generated from the company’s SEC earnings filing (Form 8-K Item 2.02, or Form 6-K for a foreign private issuer). Every figure was cross-checked against the filing text; consensus estimates, price targets and share-price reactions are not shown because they are not in the filing. AI-generated research, not investment advice.