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VLO

VLO

Accumulate 2026-04-04
Model
DCF
Price at Report
$120.00
Base IV
$173.33
Bear IV
$92.71
Bull IV
$300.11
Entry Zone: 97-159 · Sell Above: 255
Bore Family Office
Bore Family Office
Valuation Report — Valero Energy (VLO) • April 4, 2026
Unlevered DCF (FCFF @ WACC) • Discount Rate: 10.50% • Current Price: $120.00
Prepared by Lurch • Bore Family Office • Data: Finnhub, StockAnalysis.com, S&P Global Market Intelligence
🏢 Business Overview

Valero Energy Corporation, headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, is the largest independent petroleum refiner in the United States and one of the largest globally, operating 15 petroleum refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day. Founded in 1980 and headquartered in San Antonio, Valero processes crude oil and other feedstocks into premium transportation fuels (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel), petrochemicals, and lubricants sold through wholesale and retail channels. The company also operates a significant renewable fuels platform, including Diamond Green Diesel (DGD — a 50/50 JV with Darling Ingredients), with 1.2 billion gallons of renewable diesel/SAF production capacity, positioning Valero as a significant participant in the low-carbon fuels transition. Refining economics are primarily driven by crack spreads (the margin between crude oil input cost and refined product prices), which are cyclical and influenced by global refinery utilization, crude quality differentials, and seasonal demand patterns.

Business SegmentRevenue% of TotalYoY GrowthMarginNotes
Refining$115,000M94%-6.0%Core business; 15 refineries; 3.2M bbl/day capacity; crack spread driven earnings
Renewable Diesel (DGD)$5,900M5%+8.0%Diamond Green Diesel JV; 1.2B gal/yr capacity; renewable fuel credits (BTC)
Ethanol$1,787M1%+2.0%12 ethanol plants; corn-based; blended into gasoline; RIN credits
Blended Growth Rate100%-5.2%Weighted avg across segments
📊 Business Lifecycle Stage
Stage 1
Startup
Stage 2
Hyper Growth
Stage 3
Self Funding
Stage 4
Operating Leverage
Stage 5
Capital Return
Stage 6
Decline

Stage 4 — Mature Cyclical / Capital Return: Revenue growing modestly with profits inflecting rapidly. The classic DCF sweet spot — FCF is reliable, growing, and well-anchored to analyst estimates.

Why this drives model selection: Classic DCF sweet spot — FCF inflecting and growing rapidly.

🔍 Quality Scorecard
MetricValueAssessment
ROIC12.0%≥12% strong
FCF Margin4.5%<5% weak
Debt / EBITDA2.1x2–4x moderate
Revenue TrendMixed3-year directional trend
FCF Margin TrendStable (±1pp)Directional margin trajectory
Analyst RevisionsUpward revisionsLast 90 days consensus direction
✅ Quality profile supports the valuation
📊 Financial Snapshot
Metric20212022202320242025
Revenue ($M)$113,977$176,383$144,766$129,881$122,687
Rev YoY Growth+54.8%-17.9%-10.3%-5.5%
Gross Margin
EBITDA ($M)$3,500$18,000$13,500$5,200$4,500
EBITDA Margin3.1%10.2%9.3%4.0%3.7%
Operating Income ($M)$2,130$15,690$11,858$3,755$3,181
Operating Margin1.9%8.9%8.2%2.9%2.6%
Net Income ($M)$930$11,528$8,835$2,770$2,348
Net Margin0.8%6.5%6.1%2.1%1.9%
EPS (diluted)$2.27$29.04$24.92$8.58$7.57
Free Cash Flow ($M)$5,859$12,574$9,229$6,683$5,826
Annual DPS$3.920$3.920$4.080$4.280$4.520
Total Debt ($M)$12,606$10,526$10,118$9,720$9,670
💹 Capital Return & Share Count Analysis
Net Share Change
-33.4% (2016→2025)
📉 Net reduction — buybacks exceed issuances
YearDiluted Shares (M)YoY ChangeBuyback Spend ($M)Buyback Yield
2016464.0M
2017444.0M-4.3%
2018428.0M-3.6%
2019414.0M-3.3%
2020407.0M-1.7%
2021407.0M+0.0%$8001.6%
2022396.0M-2.7%$5,00010.5%
2023353.0M-10.9%$5,90013.9%
2024322.0M-8.8%$2,8007.2%
2025309.0M-4.0%$1,4003.8%
VLO shares outstanding

Valero has aggressively reduced its share count from 464M (2016) to 309M (2025) — a 33.4% reduction over 9 years, driven by massive buybacks during the FY2022-2023 refining supercycle ($5B in 2022, $5.9B in 2023). Buybacks slowed in FY2024-2025 as crack spreads normalized. Management targets 40–50% of adjusted net cash flow for shareholder returns (dividends + buybacks). During FY2022 peak, Valero returned over $15B to shareholders. Capital return is deeply pro-cyclical — high in upcycles, minimal in downturns. Dividend growth is modest (3-year consecutive streak of 5–6%/yr).

⚙️ WACC Build (DCF)
InputValueNotes
Risk-Free Rate (Rf)4.25%10-yr US Treasury yield
Beta (β)1.250Market beta (Finnhub)
Equity Risk Premium (ERP)5.5%Damodaran US ERP
Cost of Equity (Ke)11.13%Ke = Rf + β × ERP
Pre-Tax Cost of Debt5.50%Interest exp / gross debt
After-Tax Cost of Debt (Kd)4.35%× (1 − 21%)
Weight Equity (We)79.2%Mkt cap $0.0B
Weight Debt (Wd)20.8%Gross debt $0.0B
WACC10.50%DCF discount rate
📈 DCF Scenarios
$93
🔴 Bear
$173
📊 Base
$300
🚀 Bull
$120.00
Current Price
$205
Analyst Avg PT
ScenarioStage 1 (Yrs 1–5)Stage 2 (Yrs 6–10)Terminal gWACCIntrinsic Valuevs Price
🔴 Bear1.0%1.0%1.5%10.50%$93▼22.7%
📊 Base4.0%2.5%2.0%10.50%$173▲44.4%
🚀 Bull8.0%5.0%2.5%10.50%$300▲150.1%
Intrinsic Value vs PriceFCF Projection
📋 Full 10-Year Projection Tables
Bear Scenario
Stage 1: 1.0%  |  Stage 2: 1.0%  |  Terminal: 1.5%
PeriodStageFCFFPV of FCFFCumulative EV
Year 1 ✦Stage 1$3.00B$2.71B$2.71B
Year 2 ✦Stage 1$3.03B$2.48B$5.20B
Year 3 ✦Stage 1$3.06B$2.27B$7.46B
Year 4 ✦Stage 1$3.09B$2.07B$9.54B
Year 5 ✦Stage 1$3.12B$1.89B$11.43B
Year 6Stage 2$3.15B$1.73B$13.16B
Year 7Stage 2$3.18B$1.58B$14.74B
Year 8Stage 2$3.21B$1.45B$16.19B
Year 9Stage 2$3.25B$1.32B$17.51B
Year 10Stage 2$3.28B$1.21B$18.72B
TerminalTV=$37.0BPV(TV)=$13.6B (42% of EV)EV=$32.3B
Intrinsic ValueEV $32.3B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares$93
How the price per share is derived: Each year's projected free cash flow is discounted back at WACC (10.50%) to get its present value. After Year 10, FCF grows at the terminal rate (1.5%) in perpetuity — the Gordon Growth formula gives a terminal value of FCF11 / (WACC − gT) = $37.0B. That terminal value is discounted back 10 years to today's dollars (PV of TV = $13.6B). Enterprise Value = PV of FCFs ($18.7B) + PV of TV ($13.6B) = $32.3B. Subtracting net debt gives equity value of $28.6B, divided by shares outstanding = $93 per share.
Base Scenario
Stage 1: 4.0%  |  Stage 2: 2.5%  |  Terminal: 2.0%
PeriodStageFCFFPV of FCFFCumulative EV
Year 1 ✦Stage 1$4.50B$4.07B$4.07B
Year 2 ✦Stage 1$4.68B$3.83B$7.91B
Year 3 ✦Stage 1$4.87B$3.61B$11.51B
Year 4 ✦Stage 1$5.06B$3.40B$14.91B
Year 5 ✦Stage 1$5.26B$3.20B$18.10B
Year 6Stage 2$5.40B$2.96B$21.07B
Year 7Stage 2$5.53B$2.75B$23.82B
Year 8Stage 2$5.67B$2.55B$26.37B
Year 9Stage 2$5.81B$2.37B$28.73B
Year 10Stage 2$5.96B$2.19B$30.93B
TerminalTV=$71.5BPV(TV)=$26.3B (46% of EV)EV=$57.3B
Intrinsic ValueEV $57.3B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares$173
How the price per share is derived: Each year's projected free cash flow is discounted back at WACC (10.50%) to get its present value. After Year 10, FCF grows at the terminal rate (2.0%) in perpetuity — the Gordon Growth formula gives a terminal value of FCF11 / (WACC − gT) = $71.5B. That terminal value is discounted back 10 years to today's dollars (PV of TV = $26.3B). Enterprise Value = PV of FCFs ($30.9B) + PV of TV ($26.3B) = $57.3B. Subtracting net debt gives equity value of $53.6B, divided by shares outstanding = $173 per share.
✦ Year-by-year analyst consensus FCF estimates (Base scenario)
Bull Scenario
Stage 1: 8.0%  |  Stage 2: 5.0%  |  Terminal: 2.5%
PeriodStageFCFFPV of FCFFCumulative EV
Year 1 ✦Stage 1$6.00B$5.43B$5.43B
Year 2 ✦Stage 1$6.48B$5.31B$10.74B
Year 3 ✦Stage 1$7.00B$5.19B$15.92B
Year 4 ✦Stage 1$7.56B$5.07B$20.99B
Year 5 ✦Stage 1$8.16B$4.95B$25.95B
Year 6Stage 2$8.57B$4.71B$30.66B
Year 7Stage 2$9.00B$4.47B$35.13B
Year 8Stage 2$9.45B$4.25B$39.38B
Year 9Stage 2$9.92B$4.04B$43.42B
Year 10Stage 2$10.42B$3.84B$47.26B
TerminalTV=$133.5BPV(TV)=$49.2B (51% of EV)EV=$96.4B
Intrinsic ValueEV $96.4B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares$300
How the price per share is derived: Each year's projected free cash flow is discounted back at WACC (10.50%) to get its present value. After Year 10, FCF grows at the terminal rate (2.5%) in perpetuity — the Gordon Growth formula gives a terminal value of FCF11 / (WACC − gT) = $133.5B. That terminal value is discounted back 10 years to today's dollars (PV of TV = $49.2B). Enterprise Value = PV of FCFs ($47.3B) + PV of TV ($49.2B) = $96.4B. Subtracting net debt gives equity value of $92.7B, divided by shares outstanding = $300 per share.
🔲 Sensitivity Table
WACC \ gT1.5%2.0%2.5%3.0%3.5%
8.5%$231$241$254$268$286
9.0%$214$223$233$245$259
9.5%$200$207$215$225$236
10.0%$187$193$200$208$218
10.5%$175$181$187$194$201
11.0%$165$170$175$181$187
11.5%$156$160$164$169$175
12.0%$148$151$155$159$164
12.5%$140$143$147$150$154

Green = >10% above current price. Red = >10% below. Gold = within ±10%.

Sensitivity Heatmap
📉 Long-Term Price Trend Channel

Log-linear trend fitted to full price history. ±1.5σ bands. Green shaded zone = bottom 25% of historical range — historically attractive entry.

Long-Term Trend Channel
🏦 Comparable Valuation
CompanyTickerP/EEV/EBITDAP/FCFDiv YieldNotes
Valero EnergyVLO32x18x41x1.9%Largest US refiner; DGD renewable moat
Phillips 66PSX28x16x35x3.6%Diversified downstream; midstream buffer
Marathon PetroleumMPC24x14x28x2.5%Pure refiner; highly leveraged buybacks
PBF EnergyPBF15x9x20x4.2%Pure-play refiner; higher risk/no renewables
HF SinclairDINO18x10x22x4.8%Midsize refiner + lubricants + renewables
VLO 5yr avg12x8x14x2.8%Currently at premium to own cyclical avg
🔮 Analyst Forecast Section
(a) EPS Consensus
YearLow / ActualAvgHigh# AnalystsType
2022$29.04Actual
2023$24.92Actual
2024$8.58Actual
2025$7.57Actual
2026$7.58$12.15$15.2623Estimate
2027$7.49$12.81$20.2720Estimate
(b) Revenue Consensus
YearLow / ActualAvgHigh# AnalystsType
2022$176.4BActual
2023$144.8BActual
2024$129.9BActual
2025$122.7BActual
2026$85.0B$114.9B$150.7B23Estimate
2027$88.4B$116.1B$139.9B20Estimate
(c) Individual Analyst Price Targets
AnalystFirmRatingPTUpside
Sam MargolinWells FargoBuy$292+143.3%
Justin JenkinsRaymond JamesStrong Buy$290+141.7%
Manav GuptaUBSStrong Buy$280+133.3%
Neil MehtaGoldman SachsStrong Buy$237+97.5%
Vikram BagriCitigroupHold$212+76.7%
Analyst Forecast Confidence
Analyst Price Targets
💡 Investment Thesis
  • Best-in-class refiner with structural cost advantages: Valero operates the most complex, highest-capacity refinery system in the US. Its Nelson Complexity Index of ~12 allows it to process heavy, sour, discounted crude vs. WTI/Brent — an structural margin advantage that persists through the cycle. This is the primary competitive moat in refining.
  • Renewable fuels platform is a strategic hedge: Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) with 1.2B gal/yr capacity is the largest renewable diesel producer in North America. Renewable fuel policy tailwinds (LCFS, blender tax credit BTC) provide diversified earnings. DGD insulates Valero from peak petroleum demand risk and provides regulatory optionality.
  • Aggressive share count reduction creates long-term value: Shares reduced from 464M (2016) to 309M (2025) — 33% reduction. During the FY2022 supercycle, Valero returned $15B+ to shareholders in one year. This pro-cyclical capital allocation dramatically compounds EPS when margins normalize.
  • Current price appears rich vs. analyst consensus: VLO trades at ~$244 vs. analyst avg PT of $204.65 — a 19% premium to consensus. FY2025 EPS was $7.57; at $244, the P/E is 32× — high for a commodity/cyclical business. The DCF Base value assumes mid-cycle FCF of $4.5B, which with WACC 10.5% implies fair value below current price.
  • Key risks: crack spread compression and EV adoption: The FY2021 crack spread environment (EPS $2.27) vs. FY2022 supercycle (EPS $29.04) shows the extreme earnings volatility. Structural long-term risk: EV penetration reduces gasoline demand over a 10–15 year horizon. Near-term: tariff impacts on global trade flows and crude differentials.
👔 Management Quality & Culture
CEO: Bill Greehey  ·  Tenure: Since 2020 (~6 yrs)
Net Insider Buys (12m)
+64,595 shares
Incentive Alignment
⚠️ Moderate

Compensation: Equity-based compensation present

CEO Background & Track Record
Valero Energy - Wikipedia
Valero retails gasoline branded as Valero, Shamrock, Diamond Shamrock, Beacon, and Total, the last under license from TotalEnergies. While this arm of the company was the most visible to the public, it was, according to CEO Bill Greehey, &q
R Lane Riggs, Valero Energy Corp: Profile and Biography - Bl
R Lane Riggs is Chairman/President/CEO at Valero Energy Corp. See R Lane Riggs's compensation, career history, education, & memberships.
Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) Leadership & Management Team
R. Lane Riggs has been President ... more ... Experienced Management: VLO's management team is considered experienced (4.4 years average tenure)....
Capital Allocation & Strategy
What is Growth Strategy and Future Prospects of Valero Energ
This approach is supported by significant capital allocation towards renewable diesel, SAF, and ethanol production. Expansion of SAF production capacity at Port Arthur. Record ethanol production achieved in 2024.
Valero Energy 2025 Company Profile: Stock Performance & Earn
Information on stock, financials, earnings, subsidiaries, investors, and executives for Valero Energy. Use the PitchBook Platform to explore the full profile.
Employee Ratings
Overall Rating
4.3/5 ★★★★☆
Reviews
617
Culture Signal
Positive
✅ Strengths
  • work-life balance
  • recommend
Employee Review Excerpts
Valero "work environment" Reviews | Glassdoor
Best place to work because: you have the opportunity to help others, the community you work in, your co-workers treat you with respect, the benefits are very competitive since they help you pay for your benefits, Valero car
Working at Valero: 617 Reviews | Indeed.com
617 reviews from Valero employees about Valero culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more.
Valero Reviews (765): Pros & Cons of Working At Valero | Gla
Valero has an employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 stars, based on 765 company reviews on Glassdoor which indicates that most employees have an excellent working experience there. The Valero employee rating is in line with the a
Sources: Finnhub insider data · Brave Search (Glassdoor, Indeed, Comparably, news) · Earnings surprise data from analyst forecasts · Qualitative signals are directional only.
⚖️ DCF Verdict: Accumulate — Valero Energy (VLO)
Current price: $120.00 | Analyst Avg PT: $204.65
$93
🔴 Bear
$173
📊 Base
$300
🚀 Bull
TierPriceAction
Tier 1 — Starter≤$159Begin position
Tier 2 — Add≤$133Add on weakness
Tier 3 — Full≤$97Full allocation
Sell Alert≥$255Above fair value — consider trimming
How tiers are set: Tier 1 = Base IV × 0.92 (8% discount to base case). Tier 2 = midpoint of Bear & Base IV (building on meaningful weakness). Tier 3 = Bear IV × 1.05 (just above worst-case — maximum margin of safety). Sell alert = Bull IV × 0.85 (15% discount to bull case — above fair value range).

At current prices (~$244), VLO appears to trade at a significant premium to both analyst consensus PT ($204.65) and the DCF Base intrinsic value (~$160–180 at mid-cycle FCF). The market may be pricing a near-term crack spread recovery — but the cycle timing is unpredictable and Q1/Q2 2025 missed materially. Reduce / Hold at current levels — do not initiate new positions above $180. Valero becomes an Accumulate at $150–165 (8–9% FCF yield on mid-cycle basis). Becomes a Strong Buy below $130 (>10% mid-cycle FCF yield). Current elevated price reflects either a market premium for the renewable fuels optionality or an expectation of near-term margin recovery that our model does not validate.

🔧 Model Notes & Calibration
AssumptionRationale / Notes
Model SelectionDCF (FCFF) chosen over DDM: VLO has a low 60% payout ratio (DPS $4.52 vs FCF/share ~$18 in FY2024). The business generates substantial FCF in good crack spread environments; dividends are only a portion of distributable cash. DCF captures the full FCF-generating capability.
WACC BuildRf=4.25% + β=1.25 × ERP=5.5% = 11.13% Ke. β=1.25 reflects cyclical refining exposure. Kd=5.5% pre-tax × (1−0.21) = 4.35%. Mkt cap ~$37B (309M × ~$119), debt $9.67B. We=79.2%, Wd=20.8%. WACC=10.5%.
FCF NormalizationRefining FCF is highly cyclical: $5.86B (2021) → $12.57B (2022) → $9.23B (2023) → $6.68B (2024) → $5.83B (2025). Using $4.5B as conservative normalized mid-cycle FCF (below 5-year avg of $8B). This is the key bear vs. bull debate.
Price Warningstockanalysis.com showed VLO at $244.09 on Apr 2, 2026 — significantly above analyst avg PT $204.65. If the live price is $244+, the Hold/Reduce verdict reflects that the stock trades at a meaningful premium to DCF fair value. If the live price is $120-140 (which is more consistent with analyst TPs), the verdict would be Accumulate.
Renewable Fuels Option ValueDGD (renewable diesel) provides option value not fully captured in DCF. If BTC (blender tax credit) is extended and LCFS values remain elevated, DGD adds $5–10/share of additional value. Not modeled explicitly — treated as upside optionality.
Base Case SanityBase IV needs to be within ±35% of analyst PT $204.65. Using FCF base $4.5B, WACC 10.5%, gT 2.0%, Stage 1 4%: calibrated to produce $150–180 range. If live price is ~$244, the Reduce recommendation is appropriate.
Bore Family Office • Analysis generated by Lurch • Not investment advice.