Nasdaq Inc vs Valero Energy Corporation — how do they compare? Nasdaq Inc trades at $94.8 (market cap $53.13B), while Valero Energy Corporation trades at $390.5 (market cap $110.23B). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 2.1× Nasdaq Inc's market cap, and Valero Energy Corporation pays the higher dividend (1.25%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| NDAQ | VLO | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $53.13B | $110.23B |
Sector | Financials | Energy |
52-Week High | $100.98 | $388.95 |
52-Week Low | $76.85 | $156.39 |
Enterprise Value | $59.58B | $113.71B |
Dividend Yield | 1.22% | 1.25% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Nasdaq (NDAQ) trades at $95.04, down 1.9% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but bearish oscillators. The company reported strong earnings beats in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.07 exceeding the $0.984 estimate. Revenue grew to $8.26B in 2025, and net income margin improved to 22.52%. Recent news highlights strategic acquisitions like Dasseti to enhance AI capabilities.
The outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $109.20, implying 15% upside. Key opportunities include continued earnings growth and expansion in data-driven investment technology. Risks involve market volatility and execution of acquisition integration. Analyst sentiment is bullish with 61% buy ratings.
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $382.85, up 3.27% with strong technical momentum and bullish moving averages. The stock shows robust fundamentals with consistent earnings beats (Q4 2025-Q2 2026) and attractive valuation ratios (P/E 15.97, P/S 0.83). Recent news highlights inclusion in growth stock lists and upcoming Q3 2026 earnings on October 22, 2026.
Outlook remains positive with favorable refining conditions and analyst consensus at Buy (58%). Key risks include revenue decline from $176.4B (2022) to $122.7B (2025) and political pressure on gas prices. The stock offers value but faces sector volatility and macroeconomic headwinds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Founded in 1971, Nasdaq is primarily known for its equity exchange, but in addition to its market-services business (about 35% of sales), the company sells and distributes market data as well as offers Nasdaq-branded indexes to asset managers and investors through its information-services segment (30%). Nasdaq's corporate-services business (20%) offers listing services and related investor relations products to publicly traded companies and through the company's market technology group (15%), Nasdaq facilitates the exchange operations of other exchanges throughout the world and provides financial compliance services.
Read more on NDAQ →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 →