Home Depot Inc vs Valero Energy Corporation — how do they compare? Home Depot Inc trades at $354.83 (market cap $349.77B), while Valero Energy Corporation trades at $323.85 (market cap $90.68B). The key difference: Home Depot Inc is far larger — about 3.9× Valero Energy Corporation's market cap, and Home Depot Inc pays the higher dividend (2.66%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HD | VLO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $349.77B | $90.68B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Energy |
52-Week High | $423.42 | $314.95 |
52-Week Low | $297.51 | $131.77 |
Enterprise Value | $411.32B | $94.16B |
Dividend Yield | 2.66% | 1.52% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Home Depot (HD) trades at $350.78, down 1.36% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong institutional support. The company reported $159.51B in 2025 revenue with solid profitability metrics including 8.41% net income margin and 128.38% ROE. Recent earnings show mixed results with Q2 2026 expectations set at $4.73 EPS. The stock faces headwinds from weakening big-ticket demand and rising mortgage rates, but maintains strong analyst support with 59% buy ratings.
Home Depot presents a compelling long-term investment case with stable fundamentals and professional segment growth potential, though near-term challenges include housing market sensitivity and margin pressure. The consensus price target of $368.75 suggests 5.1% upside potential from current levels, supported by strong cash flow generation and dividend payments. Key risks include consumer spending volatility and competitive pressures in the home improvement sector.
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $298.31, down 1.54% on the day, with a bearish technical signal despite recent earnings beats. The stock shows strong profitability with a 29.31% ROE and trades at a P/E of 12.44, below industry averages. Recent news highlights geopolitical tensions supporting refining margins, while Q2 2026 earnings surged on strong refining and renewable diesel performance.
Outlook remains positive with a consensus price target of $324.27, implying 8.7% upside, but risks include volatile oil prices and declining revenue trends. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 55.55% buy ratings, though technical indicators suggest near-term caution amid bearish momentum signals.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, operating more than 2,300 warehouse-format stores offering more than 30,000 products in store and 1 million products online in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Its stores offer numerous building materials, home improvement products, lawn and garden products, and decor products and provide various services, including home improvement installation services and tool and equipment rentals. The acquisition of distributor Interline Brands in 2015 allowed Home Depot to enter the maintenance, repair, and operations business, which has been expanded through the tie-up with HD Supply (2020). The addition of the Company Store brought textile exposure to Home Depot's lineup.
Read more on HD →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 →