Valero
VLOMarket price data through October 26, 2026.
Performance
Oct 2021 – Oct 2026
Track record
How this pick has done since Benson first called it.
- Benson Return
- +23%
- How much this stock is up since Benson first picked it — measured from the price at the time of that first pick, not from today.
- First pick price
- ~$346
- Roughly what one share cost when Benson first picked this stock. This is the starting line for the Benson Return.
- Tracking since
- August 2026
- The month this stock first became a Benson pick.
- Tracking duration
- 2 months
- How long Benson has been tracking this pick.
About Valero
Valero is one of the largest fuel makers in North America. Think of it as the giant kitchen that turns crude oil into the gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel that keep cars, trucks, and planes moving. It runs 14 refineries that can process about 3.0 million barrels a day, plus renewable diesel and ethanol businesses.
The case for and against
Both sides of the story, in plain English.
- Profit Explosion
Valero earned 6.8 billion dollars in the third quarter on 46.1 billion dollars of revenue, up from 1.1 billion dollars in the same quarter last year. Earnings per share jumped from 3.53 dollars to 23.89 dollars. Its refineries ran at near-record levels, processing about 3.0 million barrels a day.
- Fortress Balance Sheet
Valero ended the quarter with 9.8 billion dollars in cash against 8.6 billion dollars of debt, so its debt after cash is just 4 percent of capital, down from 18 percent at the end of 2025. It paid out 52 percent of its operating cash flow to shareholders and pays a 1.20 dollar quarterly dividend per share.
- Boom And Bust Business
Refining profits swing with the gap between crude oil prices and fuel prices, and that gap can close quickly. Operating income was 1.5 billion dollars in the third quarter of last year and 9.1 billion dollars this year. A return to normal conditions could bring earnings back down fast.
- All Eggs In Refining
Refining produced 8.8 billion dollars of the company's roughly 9.4 billion dollars in segment operating income this quarter, about 93 percent. Renewable diesel and ethanol together added just 625 million dollars, so one refinery outage or a drop in fuel margins hits almost the whole business.
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How to read this page
This automated research summary uses Financial Modeling Prep market data through 2026-10-26. Model signals, scores, and risk labels can change and may be incomplete or wrong.
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