Price movement over the last 24 hours
AES Corp vs Valero Energy Corporation — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.66 (market cap $10.43B), while Valero Energy Corporation trades at $279.79 (market cap $79.05B). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 7.6× AES Corp's market cap, and AES Corp pays the higher dividend (4.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | VLO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.43B | $79.05B |
Sector | Utilities | Energy |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $270.32 |
52-Week Low | $11.07 | $131.77 |
Enterprise Value | $39.77B | $84.81B |
Dividend Yield | 4.81% | 1.8% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.62, up 0.27% on the day, with strong fundamentals including a P/E of 7.59 and net income margin of 10.82%. Recent quarters show consistent earnings beats, while technical indicators signal bearish momentum. The company's pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a BlackRock/EQT consortium, approved by stockholders on June 26, 2026, caps near-term upside at $15 per share but provides a stable exit pathway.
The investment case hinges on the acquisition closing, offering a 2.6% gain to the $15 buyout price plus dividend yield. Risks include deal completion uncertainty and shareholder litigation. With no sell-side analysts recommending sell, the stock presents a low-risk arbitrage opportunity with defined upside and limited downside if the transaction proceeds as planned.
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $266.22, down 0.58% on the day, with strong technical momentum showing bullish moving averages and key resistance at $270. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 expected at $10.08 EPS. Fundamentals show solid profitability with 17.72% ROE and attractive valuation metrics including P/E of 19.75 and P/S of 0.66. Recent news highlights VLO's refining strength and renewable fuels growth potential.
VLO presents a compelling investment case with strong analyst support (58% buy ratings) and a consensus price target of $258.25. The company's Gulf Coast refining advantage and clean-fuel initiatives support long-term growth, though investors face risks from energy market volatility and declining revenue trends from $176.4B in 2022 to $122.7B in 2025. The current price near resistance levels suggests potential for breakout or consolidation.
Trailing returns across standard periods
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →Valero Energy is one of the largest independent refiners in the United States. It operates 14 refineries with a total throughput capacity of 3.2 million barrels a day in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Valero also owns 14 ethanol plants with capacity of 1.7 billion gallons of ethanol a year and holds a 50% stake in Diamond Green Diesel, which has capacity to produce 700 million gallons per year of renewable diesel.
Read more on VLO →