VLO
VLO
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 Segment | Revenue | % of Total | YoY Growth | Margin | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Refining | $115,000M | 94% | -6.0% | — | Core business; 15 refineries; 3.2M bbl/day capacity; crack spread driven earnings |
| Renewable Diesel (DGD) | $5,900M | 5% | +8.0% | — | Diamond Green Diesel JV; 1.2B gal/yr capacity; renewable fuel credits (BTC) |
| Ethanol | $1,787M | 1% | +2.0% | — | 12 ethanol plants; corn-based; blended into gasoline; RIN credits |
| Blended Growth Rate | — | 100% | -5.2% | — | Weighted avg across segments |
Startup
Hyper Growth
Self Funding
Operating Leverage
Capital Return
Decline
Stage 4 — Mature Cyclical / Capital Return: Revenue growing modestly with profits inflecting rapidly. The classic DCF sweet spot — FCF is reliable, growing, and well-anchored to analyst estimates.
Why this drives model selection: Classic DCF sweet spot — FCF inflecting and growing rapidly.
| Metric | Value | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| ROIC | 12.0% | ≥12% strong |
| FCF Margin | 4.5% | <5% weak |
| Debt / EBITDA | 2.1x | 2–4x moderate |
| Revenue Trend | Mixed | 3-year directional trend |
| FCF Margin Trend | Stable (±1pp) | Directional margin trajectory |
| Analyst Revisions | Upward revisions | Last 90 days consensus direction |
| Metric | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue ($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 | $4,500 |
| EBITDA Margin | 3.1% | 10.2% | 9.3% | 4.0% | 3.7% |
| Operating Income ($M) | $2,130 | $15,690 | $11,858 | $3,755 | $3,181 |
| Operating Margin | 1.9% | 8.9% | 8.2% | 2.9% | 2.6% |
| Net Income ($M) | $930 | $11,528 | $8,835 | $2,770 | $2,348 |
| Net Margin | 0.8% | 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 | $9,670 |
| Year | Diluted Shares (M) | YoY Change | Buyback Spend ($M) | Buyback Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 464.0M | — | — | — |
| 2017 | 444.0M | -4.3% | — | — |
| 2018 | 428.0M | -3.6% | — | — |
| 2019 | 414.0M | -3.3% | — | — |
| 2020 | 407.0M | -1.7% | — | — |
| 2021 | 407.0M | +0.0% | $800 | 1.6% |
| 2022 | 396.0M | -2.7% | $5,000 | 10.5% |
| 2023 | 353.0M | -10.9% | $5,900 | 13.9% |
| 2024 | 322.0M | -8.8% | $2,800 | 7.2% |
| 2025 | 309.0M | -4.0% | $1,400 | 3.8% |
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).
| Input | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Risk-Free Rate (Rf) | 4.25% | 10-yr US Treasury yield |
| Beta (β) | 1.250 | Market 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 Debt | 5.50% | 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 |
| WACC | 10.50% | DCF discount rate |
| Scenario | Stage 1 (Yrs 1–5) | Stage 2 (Yrs 6–10) | Terminal g | WACC | Intrinsic Value | vs Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Bear | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 10.50% | $93 | ▼22.7% |
| 📊 Base | 4.0% | 2.5% | 2.0% | 10.50% | $173 | ▲44.4% |
| 🚀 Bull | 8.0% | 5.0% | 2.5% | 10.50% | $300 | ▲150.1% |
| Period | Stage | FCFF | PV of FCFF | Cumulative 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 6 | Stage 2 | $3.15B | $1.73B | $13.16B |
| Year 7 | Stage 2 | $3.18B | $1.58B | $14.74B |
| Year 8 | Stage 2 | $3.21B | $1.45B | $16.19B |
| Year 9 | Stage 2 | $3.25B | $1.32B | $17.51B |
| Year 10 | Stage 2 | $3.28B | $1.21B | $18.72B |
| Terminal | — | TV=$37.0B | PV(TV)=$13.6B (42% of EV) | EV=$32.3B |
| Intrinsic Value | — | — | EV $32.3B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares | $93 |
| Period | Stage | FCFF | PV of FCFF | Cumulative 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 6 | Stage 2 | $5.40B | $2.96B | $21.07B |
| Year 7 | Stage 2 | $5.53B | $2.75B | $23.82B |
| Year 8 | Stage 2 | $5.67B | $2.55B | $26.37B |
| Year 9 | Stage 2 | $5.81B | $2.37B | $28.73B |
| Year 10 | Stage 2 | $5.96B | $2.19B | $30.93B |
| Terminal | — | TV=$71.5B | PV(TV)=$26.3B (46% of EV) | EV=$57.3B |
| Intrinsic Value | — | — | EV $57.3B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares | $173 |
| Period | Stage | FCFF | PV of FCFF | Cumulative 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 6 | Stage 2 | $8.57B | $4.71B | $30.66B |
| Year 7 | Stage 2 | $9.00B | $4.47B | $35.13B |
| Year 8 | Stage 2 | $9.45B | $4.25B | $39.38B |
| Year 9 | Stage 2 | $9.92B | $4.04B | $43.42B |
| Year 10 | Stage 2 | $10.42B | $3.84B | $47.26B |
| Terminal | — | TV=$133.5B | PV(TV)=$49.2B (51% of EV) | EV=$96.4B |
| Intrinsic Value | — | — | EV $96.4B − Net Debt → Equity / Shares | $300 |
| WACC \ gT | 1.5% | 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%.
Log-linear trend fitted to full price history. ±1.5σ bands. Green shaded zone = bottom 25% of historical range — historically attractive entry.
| Company | Ticker | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Div Yield | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valero Energy | VLO | 32x | 18x | 41x | 1.9% | Largest US refiner; DGD renewable moat |
| Phillips 66 | PSX | 28x | 16x | 35x | 3.6% | Diversified downstream; midstream buffer |
| Marathon Petroleum | MPC | 24x | 14x | 28x | 2.5% | Pure refiner; highly leveraged buybacks |
| PBF Energy | PBF | 15x | 9x | 20x | 4.2% | Pure-play refiner; higher risk/no renewables |
| HF Sinclair | DINO | 18x | 10x | 22x | 4.8% | Midsize refiner + lubricants + renewables |
| VLO 5yr avg | — | 12x | 8x | 14x | 2.8% | Currently at premium to own cyclical avg |
| Year | Low / Actual | Avg | High | # Analysts | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $29.04 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2023 | $24.92 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2024 | $8.58 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2025 | $7.57 | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2026 | $7.58 | $12.15 | $15.26 | 23 | Estimate |
| 2027 | $7.49 | $12.81 | $20.27 | 20 | Estimate |
| Year | Low / Actual | Avg | High | # Analysts | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $176.4B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2023 | $144.8B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2024 | $129.9B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2025 | $122.7B | — | — | — | Actual |
| 2026 | $85.0B | $114.9B | $150.7B | 23 | Estimate |
| 2027 | $88.4B | $116.1B | $139.9B | 20 | Estimate |
| Analyst | Firm | Rating | PT | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Margolin | Wells Fargo | Buy | $292 | +143.3% |
| Justin Jenkins | Raymond James | Strong Buy | $290 | +141.7% |
| Manav Gupta | UBS | Strong Buy | $280 | +133.3% |
| Neil Mehta | Goldman Sachs | Strong Buy | $237 | +97.5% |
| Vikram Bagri | Citigroup | Hold | $212 | +76.7% |
- 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.
Compensation: Equity-based compensation present
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 is Chairman/President/CEO at Valero Energy Corp. See R Lane Riggs's compensation, career history, education, & memberships.
R. Lane Riggs has been President ... more ... Experienced Management: VLO's management team is considered experienced (4.4 years average tenure)....
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.
Information on stock, financials, earnings, subsidiaries, investors, and executives for Valero Energy. Use the PitchBook Platform to explore the full profile.
- work-life balance
- recommend
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
617 reviews from Valero employees about Valero culture, salaries, benefits, work-life balance, management, job security, and more.
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
| Tier | Price | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 — Starter | ≤$159 | Begin position |
| Tier 2 — Add | ≤$133 | Add on weakness |
| Tier 3 — Full | ≤$97 | Full allocation |
| Sell Alert | ≥$255 | Above fair value — consider trimming |
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.
| Assumption | Rationale / Notes |
|---|---|
| Model Selection | DCF (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 Build | Rf=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 Normalization | Refining 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 Warning | stockanalysis.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 Value | DGD (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 Sanity | Base 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. |