Dollar General Corp. vs Valero Energy Corporation — how do they compare? Dollar General Corp. trades at $119.27 (market cap $26.50B), while Valero Energy Corporation trades at $301.04 (market cap $89.50B). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 3.4× Dollar General Corp.'s market cap, and Dollar General Corp. pays the higher dividend (1.96%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DG | VLO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.50B | $89.50B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Energy |
52-Week High | $156.26 | $301.43 |
52-Week Low | $95.94 | $131.77 |
Enterprise Value | $40.95B | $95.26B |
Dividend Yield | 1.96% | 1.59% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Dollar General (DG) trades at $123.44, up 3.8% with strong technical momentum and bullish analyst sentiment. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.00 exceeding expectations of $1.89. Revenue growth continues at $40.61B for 2025, while profit margins face pressure at 3.63%. Recent news highlights the company's back-to-school initiatives and margin expansion efforts.
The outlook remains positive with a $128.45 consensus price target representing 4% upside. Key opportunities include continued same-store sales growth and margin recovery, while risks involve consumer spending sensitivity and competitive pressures in discount retail. The technical setup suggests near-term resistance around $125-$128 levels.
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $295.79, up 5.38% in the last session, reflecting strong momentum amid bullish technical signals and positive earnings surprises. The stock's valuation metrics, including a P/E of 20.5 and P/S of 0.69, appear reasonable relative to historical levels, while profitability remains solid with a 17.72% ROE. Recent news highlights VLO's exposure to elevated refining margins and strong fuel demand, particularly benefiting its Gulf Coast operations.
The outlook for VLO is supported by robust refining fundamentals and a favorable analyst consensus, though risks include volatile energy markets and declining revenue trends. Upside potential exists if the company continues to exceed earnings expectations and capitalizes on tight product supplies, but investors should monitor margin pressures and macroeconomic headwinds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
A leading American discount retailer, Dollar General operates over 18,000 stores in 47 states, selling branded and private-label products across a wide variety of categories. In fiscal 2021, 77% of net sales came from consumables (including paper and cleaning products, packaged and perishable food, tobacco, and health and beauty items), 12% from seasonal merchandise (such as toys, greeting cards, decorations, and gardening supplies), 7% from home products (for example, kitchen supplies, small appliances, and cookware), and 4% from basic apparel. Stores average roughly 7,400 square feet, and about 75% of Dollar General locations are in towns of 20,000 or fewer people. The firm emphasizes value, with most of its items sold at everyday low prices of $5 or less.
Read more on DG →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 →