Valero Energy Corporation vs Western Union Co — how do they compare? Valero Energy Corporation trades at $323.5 (market cap $90.68B), while Western Union Co trades at $7.05 (market cap $2.19B). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 41.4× Western Union Co's market cap, and Western Union Co pays the higher dividend (13.37%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| VLO | WU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $90.68B | $2.19B |
Sector | Energy | Technology |
52-Week High | $323.92 | $10.28 |
52-Week Low | $133.38 | $6.36 |
Enterprise Value | $94.16B | $2.10B |
Dividend Yield | 1.52% | 13.37% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
Western Union (WU) trades at $7.08, down 1.12% today, with a bearish technical signal and recent earnings misses in Q1 and Q2 2026. Valuation ratios appear attractive with a P/E of 5.71 and P/S of 0.56, but revenue has declined from $4.5B in 2022 to $4.05B in 2025. The company maintains a strong dividend yield, paying $0.24 quarterly, and recently launched Stablecard with Rain to expand digital services.
The outlook is cautious due to earnings volatility and competitive pressures in money transfers. Opportunities include cost management and digital growth, but risks from declining retail performance and high debt levels persist. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $7.14 price target, reflecting uncertainty over turnaround efforts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Western Union provides domestic and international money transfers through its global network of about 500,000 outside agents. It is the largest money transfer company in the world and one of only a few companies with a truly global agent network.
Read more on WU →