VLO

Valero Energy

$258.67

+1.20%
Jun 12, 2026
Bobby Quantitative Model
Valero Energy Corporation is one of the world's largest independent petroleum refiners and marketers, operating 15 refineries across the US, Canada, and the UK with a total throughput capacity of 3.2 million barrels per day. The company is a dominant market leader in the traditional refining sector and has strategically expanded into renewable fuels, owning 12 ethanol plants and a major stake in Diamond Green Diesel, a leading renewable diesel producer. The current investor narrative is intensely focused on the company's exposure to volatile refining margins driven by geopolitical tensions, as recent news highlights a 'windfall profit environment' from surging diesel prices and supply disruptions, while also weighing operational headwinds and the long-term strategic shift towards renewable energy sources.

People also watch

Marathon Petroleum

Marathon Petroleum

MPC

Analysis
Phillips 66

Phillips 66

PSX

Analysis
HF Sinclair Corporation

HF Sinclair Corporation

DINO

Analysis
PBF Energy

PBF Energy

PBF

Analysis
Valvoline

Valvoline

VVV

Analysis

VLO 12-Month Price Forecast

Historical Price
Current Price $258.67
Average Target $258.67
High Target $297.4705
Low Target $219.86950000000002

Wall Street consensus

Most Wall Street analysts maintain a constructive view on Valero Energy's 12-month outlook, with a consensus price target around $336.27 and implied upside of +30.0% versus the current price.

Average Target

$336.27

6 analysts

Implied Upside

+30.0%

vs. current price

Analyst Count

6

covering this stock

Price Range

$207 - $336

Analyst target range

Buy
1 (17%)
Hold
3 (50%)
Sell
2 (33%)

Analyst coverage for Valero is robust, with data from 6 contributing firms. The consensus sentiment leans bullish to neutral, with recent institutional actions including 'Strong Buy' from Raymond James, 'Buy' from Goldman Sachs, and 'Overweight' from Piper Sandler and JP Morgan, balanced by 'Neutral' or 'Equal Weight' ratings from Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and B of A Securities. The average target price implied by the estimated EPS average of $36.95 and the forward PE of 12.31x is approximately $455, suggesting very significant upside from the current price of $258.85, though a precise consensus target price is not provided in the data. The target range is wide, with estimated EPS spanning from a low of $28.11 to a high of $47.00, reflecting high uncertainty around refining margin forecasts, geopolitical impacts on oil prices, and the company's operational execution. The high-end targets likely assume sustained wide crack spreads, successful renewable diesel growth, and efficient capital allocation, while the low-end targets may factor in a rapid normalization of margins, recessionary demand destruction, or operational setbacks. The recent mix of ratings confirms ongoing debate about the sustainability of the current profit cycle, with a wide target spread indicating low conviction and high macro dependency.

Drowning in data?

Find the real signal!

VLO Technical Analysis

The stock is in a powerful, sustained uptrend, evidenced by a staggering 104.56% gain over the past year. As of the latest close at $258.85, the price is trading near the top of its 52-week range, approximately 97% of the way towards its 52-week high of $265.61, indicating strong momentum but also raising concerns about potential overextension. The stock's positioning near all-time highs reflects market optimism on refining margins but leaves little room for error against elevated expectations. Recent momentum shows acceleration, with the stock up 15.23% over the past three months, significantly outpacing the S&P 500's 12.6% gain. However, the one-month return of 2.13% lags the broader market's 4.6% rise, suggesting a potential short-term consolidation or deceleration after the explosive rally earlier in the year. This divergence from the longer-term trend could signal a healthy pause as the stock digests its massive gains, especially given its low beta of 0.571, which indicates it is typically 43% less volatile than the market. Key technical support is anchored at the 52-week low of $125.77, while immediate resistance sits at the 52-week high of $265.61. A decisive breakout above $265.61 would signal a continuation of the bullish trend, whereas a breakdown below the recent consolidation range near $240 could indicate a deeper pullback. The stock's beta of 0.571 suggests it has exhibited lower volatility than the overall market during this period, which is atypical for a cyclical energy name and may reflect its status as a large-cap, cash-generative operator, though recent price action has been highly volatile due to geopolitical catalysts.

Beta

0.55

0.55x market volatility

Max Drawdown

-14.9%

Largest decline past year

52-Week Range

$131-$266

Price range past year

Annual Return

+93.8%

Cumulative gain past year

PeriodVLO ReturnS&P 500
1m+6.0%-0.1%
3m+12.2%+12.0%
6m+53.7%+8.8%
1y+93.8%+22.9%
ytd+56.5%+8.8%

Bobby - Your AI Investment Partner

Get real-time data, AI-driven personalized investment analysis to make smarter investment decisions

VLO Fundamental Analysis

Revenue growth has been volatile but showed a recent sequential improvement, with Q4 2025 revenue of $31.73 billion representing a 3.17% year-over-year increase from the prior-year quarter. However, examining the full-year quarterly trend reveals significant swings: revenue declined from $34.49 billion in Q2 2024 to $29.89 billion in Q2 2025 before recovering, highlighting the cyclicality inherent in refining driven by crack spreads and throughput. The Refining segment, at $59.08 billion annually, is the dominant revenue driver, though the Renewable Diesel ($2.54B) and Ethanol ($2.55B) segments provide strategic diversification. Profitability has rebounded sharply from a net loss of -$595 million in Q1 2025 to a net income of $1.13 billion in Q4 2025. The gross margin for Q4 2025 was 10.28%, a substantial recovery from the depressed 1.64% in Q1 2025, reflecting the dramatic improvement in refining economics. The trailing twelve-month net margin stands at 1.91%, which, while positive, is low for the industry and underscores the operational leverage and margin sensitivity to commodity price swings. The balance sheet is healthy, with a conservative debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49 and a strong current ratio of 1.65, indicating ample liquidity. The company is a robust cash generator, with free cash flow over the trailing twelve months of $5.4 billion, providing significant capacity for shareholder returns and strategic investments. Return on Equity (ROE) of 9.90% and Return on Assets (ROA) of 6.49% reflect adequate, if not spectacular, returns on capital, consistent with the cyclical peak of the refining cycle.

Quarterly Revenue

$31.7B

2025-12

Revenue YoY Growth

+0.03%

YoY Comparison

Gross Margin

+0.10%

Latest Quarter

Free Cash Flow

$5.4B

Last 12 Months

Revenue & Net Income Trends (2 Years)

Revenue Breakdown

Ethanol
Refining
Renewable Diesel

Open an Account, get $2 TSLA now!

Valuation Analysis: Is VLO Overvalued?

Given the company's positive net income, the primary valuation metric is the Price-to-Earnings (PE) ratio. The trailing PE ratio is 21.42x, while the forward PE is significantly lower at 12.31x. This substantial gap implies the market expects a meaningful earnings recovery, aligning with analyst consensus EPS estimates that nearly double from the trailing figure to an average of $36.95. Compared to sector averages, Valero's trailing PE of 21.42x trades at a premium to the typical energy sector multiple, which often ranges in the low teens, reflecting its status as a premier refiner with a superior renewable fuels platform. Its Price-to-Sales (PS) ratio of 0.41 and EV-to-Sales of 0.73 are relatively low, typical for capital-intensive refining businesses with thin net margins, suggesting the market values it on earnings power rather than top-line sales. Historically, Valero's current trailing PE of 21.42x sits above its own multi-year range observed in the historical ratios data, which has fluctuated widely from negative figures during loss-making quarters to as high as 49x during trough earnings periods. Being near the upper end of its own historical valuation band suggests the market is pricing in a strong cyclical upswing and perhaps sustained higher mid-cycle earnings, leaving limited room for multiple expansion unless profitability exceeds current high expectations.

PE

21.4x

Latest Quarter

vs. Historical

Mid-Range

5-Year PE Range -17x~49x

vs. Industry Avg

N/A

Industry PE ~N/A*

EV/EBITDA

8.5x

Enterprise Value Multiple