Valero Energy Corporation vs Yum! Brands, Inc. — how do they compare? Valero Energy Corporation trades at $391.22 (market cap $111.99B), while Yum! Brands, Inc. trades at $146.9 (market cap $39.61B). The key difference: Valero Energy Corporation is far larger — about 2.8× Yum! Brands, Inc.'s market cap, and Yum! Brands, Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.07%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| VLO | YUM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $111.99B | $39.61B |
Sector | Energy | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $388.95 | $168.16 |
52-Week Low | $156.39 | $138.21 |
Enterprise Value | $115.46B | $51.22B |
Dividend Yield | 1.23% | 2.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
YUM trades at $149.59, down 0.74% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported revenue of $8.21B in 2025, with net income of $1.56B and a net margin of 25.4%. Recent developments include the sale of Pizza Hut for approximately $1.5B to LongRange Capital, completed on September 1, 2026, and a declared quarterly dividend of $0.75 per share. Analyst consensus is a buy rating with a price target of $173.60, though technical indicators suggest near-term caution.
Outlook remains supported by strong profitability and strategic portfolio optimization, but risks include high debt levels and competitive pressures. The stock offers potential upside to the consensus target, yet investor sentiment is mixed amid broader market volatility and recent insider selling.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Yum Brands is a U.S.-based restaurant operator featuring a portfolio of four brands: KFC (26,930 global units), Pizza Hut (18,380 units), Taco Bell (7,790 units), and The Habit Burger (310 units) at year-end 2021. With $58 billion in 2021 systemwide sales, the firm is the second-largest restaurant company in the world, behind McDonald's ($112.5 billion) but ahead of Restaurant Brands International ($36 billion) and Starbucks ($25 billion). Yum is 98% franchised, with the largest franchisee, Yum China, created via a 2016 spinoff transaction (after which Yum China agreed to pay 3% royalties to Yum Brands in perpetuity). Yum is the newest evolution of Tricon Brands, formerly a division of PepsiCo, and generates the bulk of its revenue from franchise royalties and marketing contributions.
Read more on YUM →