MPC vs. VLO

Last updated Jun 3, 2026

MPC (Marathon Petroleum Corporation) and VLO (Valero Energy Corporation) are both stocks. Both operate in the Oil & Gas Refining & Marketing industry within the Energy sector. Over the past 10 years, MPC returned 25.97%/yr vs 21.23%/yr for VLO. Their correlation of 0.80 suggests significant overlap in exposure.

Performance

MPC vs. VLO - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) and Valero Energy Corporation (VLO). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with MPC having a 63.18% return and VLO slightly lower at 60.37%. Over the past 10 years, MPC has outperformed VLO with an annualized return of 25.97%, while VLO has yielded a comparatively lower 21.23% annualized return.

MPC

• 1D: 1.70%
• 1M: 7.28%
• YTD: 63.18%
• 6M: 37.72%
• 1Y: 68.95%
• 3Y*: 36.95%
• 5Y*: 36.17%
• 10Y*: 25.97%

VLO

• 1D: 2.27%
• 1M: 5.11%
• YTD: 60.37%
• 6M: 46.24%
• 1Y: 106.44%
• 3Y*: 37.10%
• 5Y*: 29.60%
• 10Y*: 21.23%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

MPC vs. VLO - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corporation	63.18%	19.17%	-4.06%	30.46%	86.62%	61.00%	-27.38%	6.05%	-8.23%	34.78%
VLO Valero Energy Corporation	60.37%	36.97%	-2.96%	5.86%	74.95%	40.25%	-35.69%	30.27%	-15.73%	38.66%

Correlation

The correlation between MPC and VLO is 0.85, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.85
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.86
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.87
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.82
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jul 5, 2011	0.80

The correlation between MPC and VLO has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.80 to 0.87 - a consistent structural relationship.

Fundamentals

Market Cap MPC : $77.60B VLO : $76.96B
EPS MPC : $15.35 VLO : $13.77
PE Ratio MPC : 17.14 VLO : 18.76
PEG Ratio MPC : 0.08 VLO : 0.07
PS Ratio MPC : 0.58 VLO : 0.63
PB Ratio MPC : 4.63 VLO : 2.86
Total Revenue (TTM) MPC : $135.75B VLO : $126.17B
Gross Profit (TTM) MPC : $11.95B VLO : $12.45B
EBITDA (TTM) MPC : $12.39B VLO : $9.02B

Return for Risk

MPC vs. VLO — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

MPC

MPC Risk / Return Rank: 86
MPC Sharpe Ratio Rank: 89
MPC Sortino Ratio Rank: 85
MPC Omega Ratio Rank: 85
MPC Calmar Ratio Rank: 85
MPC Martin Ratio Rank: 86

VLO

VLO Risk / Return Rank: 93
VLO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
VLO Sortino Ratio Rank: 92
VLO Omega Ratio Rank: 91
VLO Calmar Ratio Rank: 95
VLO Martin Ratio Rank: 94

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

MPC vs. VLO - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) and Valero Energy Corporation (VLO). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	MPC	VLO	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	2.20	3.06	-0.86
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.75	3.58	-0.83
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.46	-0.09
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	3.65	7.43	-3.78
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.65	18.51	-8.85
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

MPC vs. VLO - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current MPC Sharpe Ratio is 2.20, which is comparable to the VLO Sharpe Ratio of 3.06. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of MPC and VLO, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	MPC	VLO	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	2.20	3.06	-0.86
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	1.10	0.81	+0.29
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.65	0.53	+0.12
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.56	0.28	+0.28

Drawdowns

MPC vs. VLO - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum MPC drawdown since its inception was -79.67%, smaller than the maximum VLO drawdown of -87.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for MPC and VLO.

Drawdown Indicators

	MPC	VLO	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-79.67%	-87.50%	+7.83%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-18.33%	-14.19%	-4.14%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-44.75%	-41.22%	-3.53%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-44.75%	-41.22%	-3.53%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-79.67%	-71.88%	-7.79%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	-1.19%	+1.19%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-17.37%	-34.28%	+16.91%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	6.93%	5.69%	+1.24%

Volatility

MPC vs. VLO - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC) is 11.47%, while Valero Energy Corporation (VLO) has a volatility of 12.30%. This indicates that MPC experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than VLO based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	MPC	VLO	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	11.47%	12.30%	-0.83%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	25.79%	27.36%	-1.57%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	31.50%	35.01%	-3.51%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	33.03%	36.92%	-3.89%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	40.27%	40.40%	-0.13%

Dividends

MPC vs. VLO - Dividend Comparison

MPC's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.49%, less than VLO's 1.80% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corporation	1.49%	2.29%	2.43%	2.07%	2.14%	3.63%	5.61%	3.52%	3.12%	2.30%	2.70%	2.20%
VLO Valero Energy Corporation	1.80%	2.78%	3.49%	3.14%	3.09%	5.22%	6.93%	3.84%	4.27%	2.34%	3.51%	2.40%

Financials

MPC vs. VLO - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Valero Energy Corporation over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

MPC - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Marathon Petroleum Corporation reported a gross profit of 3.31B and revenue of 34.57B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 9.6%.

VLO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Valero Energy Corporation reported a gross profit of 6.20B and revenue of 32.38B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 19.1%.

MPC - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Marathon Petroleum Corporation reported an operating income of 1.40B and revenue of 34.57B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.1%.

VLO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Valero Energy Corporation reported an operating income of 1.73B and revenue of 32.38B, resulting in an operating margin of 5.4%.

MPC - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Marathon Petroleum Corporation reported a net income of 511.00M and revenue of 34.57B, resulting in a net margin of 1.5%.

VLO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Valero Energy Corporation reported a net income of 1.26B and revenue of 32.38B, resulting in a net margin of 3.9%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both MPC and VLO in my portfolio?

MPC and VLO have a correlation of 0.85, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, MPC or VLO?

VLO has higher volatility (12.30%) compared to MPC (11.47%). In terms of maximum drawdown, MPC dropped -79.67% vs VLO's -87.50%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

VLO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.06 vs 2.20), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.