Valero Energy Corporation vs YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs — how do they compare? Valero Energy Corporation trades at $441 (market cap $127.78B), while YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs trades at $7.53 (market cap $364M). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 351× YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs's market cap, and Valero Energy Corporation pays a 1.08% dividend while YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Valero Energy Corporation for 56 Days and YieldMax Universe Fund of Option Income ETFs for 55 Days on average.
| VLO | YMAX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $127.78B | $364M |
Volume | 2,570,225 | 1,181,378 |
Sector | Energy | Income / Options Overlay |
52-Week High | $443.80 | $12.98 |
52-Week Low | $156.39 | $7.27 |
Typical Hold Time | 56 Days | 55 Days |
Enterprise Value | $131.26B | — |
Dividend Yield | 1.08% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Valero Energy (VLO) trades at $424.10, up 1.16% today, near its 52-week high. The stock exhibits bullish technical signals with strong moving average alignment and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Revenue declined to $122.69 billion in 2025, but net income margin improved to 5.17%. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $408.10 price target, and recent news highlights institutional buying and refining margin strength.
Outlook remains positive driven by earnings beats and supportive refining margins, but risks include potential diesel export policy changes and volatile energy markets. The stock's high RSI suggests near-term overbought conditions, yet fundamental improvements and strong cash flow projections for 2026 provide a solid foundation for continued investor interest.
YMAX trades at $7.53, down 1.83% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The ETF maintains weekly dividend distributions but faces concerns about NAV erosion and sustainability. Recent portfolio adjustments aim to address performance issues, though the fund's structure as a fund-of-funds adds additional cost layers that impact returns.
The outlook remains cautious due to structural concerns and persistent share price decline despite high yield. Investment opportunity exists for income-focused investors willing to accept principal erosion risks, while the primary risk involves unsustainable distribution policy and compounding fees affecting long-term total returns.
Trailing returns across standard periods
What Pluang investors did over the last 30 days
Latest headlines on both assets
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 →YMAX is an actively managed 'fund of funds' that provides equal-weighted exposure to the full suite of YieldMax option income ETFs. It is designed to generate high current income by aggregating the premiums from various single-stock and thematic covered call strategies, offering a diversified approach to high-yield option investing.
Read more on YMAX →