MARATHON PETROLEUM CORPORATION vs VALERO ENERGY CORP/TX, two Oil & Gas Refining stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
19.77 against 15.62: the returns on equity, Marathon Petroleum edging Valero, though both figures ride buyback-shrunk equity bases and the real comparison is on assets, where Valero leads, 6.8% against 5.3%. The two are the closest peers in the sector, big independent refiners running the same crack spreads with marketing arms attached. The multiples nearly touch, 16.7 and 19 times; dividends sit at 1.5% and 1.7%; both run near-zero debt. Free cash favors Marathon, 7.6% against 7%, a near-tie. The pair is refining's two-way race priced as one; a buyer choosing between them is picking buyback cadence and refinery footprint, because on economics the market can barely separate them.
Comparison updated 2026-07-11.
| Metric | MPC | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $253.99 | $259.41 |
| Market cap | $74.9B | $77.3B |
| Sector | Oil & Gas Refining | Oil & Gas Refining |
| Stage | Cyclical | Cyclical |
| Implied growth (priced in) | -3.9% | +9.4% |
| P/E | 16.7 | 18.9 |
| P/B | 3.20 | 2.87 |
| P/S | 0.55 | 0.62 |
| EV/EBITDA | 6.1 | 8.9 |
| Revenue growth | -1.2% | -2.4% |
| Operating margin | 4.1% | 5.3% |
| Net margin | 3.4% | 3.4% |
| Return on equity | 19.8% | 15.6% |
| Return on assets | 5.3% | 6.8% |
| Return on invested capital | 29.0% | 15.9% |
| FCF yield | 7.6% | 7.0% |
| Dividend yield | 1.5% | 1.7% |
| Debt / equity | 0.09 | 0.04 |
| Current ratio | 1.18 | 1.58 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 2.97 | 9.40 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 7 / 9 | 7 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.