Marathon Petroleum vs Valero Energy Corp/tx (MPC vs VLO)
Side by side from their SEC filings: revenue, margins, growth, returns and valuation, plus short interest, insider activity and institutional ownership.
Marathon Petroleum is the larger company by revenue ($132.7B vs $122.7B). Valero Energy Corp/tx carries the larger market value ($87.8B vs $86.7B). Marathon Petroleum has grown revenue faster over the last 4 fiscal years (+10.6% cumulative vs +7.6%). Marathon Petroleum runs the higher operating margin (6.2% vs 2.6%). Marathon Petroleum trades at the lower trailing P/E (19.6x vs 21.6x).
About Marathon Petroleum
Marathon Petroleum Corp operates one of the largest refining systems in the United States with a crude oil refining capacity of about 3 million barrels per day. The company refines crude oil into transportation fuels, petrochemicals, and other products, distributing them through a large network of terminals and transportation assets. It serves wholesale customers, independent retailers, and direct dealers primarily under the Marathon and ARCO brands.
About Valero Energy Corp/tx
Valero Energy Corp operates as an independent petroleum refining and marketing company. It produces refined petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and renewable fuels. The company serves wholesale and retail customers primarily in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Head to head (MPC FY2025 vs VLO FY2025)
| Metric | MPCFY2025 | VLOFY2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $132.70B | $122.69B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -4.4% | -5.5% |
| Gross margin | 10.0% | 4.4% |
| Operating margin | 6.2% | 2.6% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 1.9% |
| Net income | $4.05B | $2.35B |
| Diluted EPS | $13.22 | $7.57 |
| FCF margin | 3.6% | — |
| ROE | 16.8% | 8.8% |
| Debt / equity | 1.3× | 0.4× |
| Market cap | $86.67B | $87.83B |
| P/E (TTM) | 19.6× | 21.6× |
Fundamentals are from each company’s SEC filings (MPC FY2025, VLO FY2025). P/E and market cap are derived from recent market prices and update daily.
Five-year trend (as reported)
| Revenue | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPC | $119.98B | $177.45B | $148.38B | $138.86B | $132.70B |
| VLO | $113.98B | $176.38B | $144.77B | $129.88B | $122.69B |
Peer standing
Where each company ranks among the 125 Energy companies, on the same scale. Each figure is ranked only against peers that report it. Percentiles describe position in the distribution, not a rating.
| Metric | MPC | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 10.0%14th percentile of 43 | 4.4%5th percentile of 43 |
| Operating margin | 6.2%46th percentile of 104 | 2.6%30th percentile of 104 |
| Net margin | 3.0%40th percentile of 120 | 1.9%35th percentile of 120 |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -4.4%34th percentile of 122 | -5.5%28th percentile of 122 |
| ROE | 16.8%86th percentile of 100 | 8.8%60th percentile of 100 |
| P/E (TTM) | 19.6×54th percentile of 85 | 21.6×58th percentile of 85 |
| Debt / equity | 1.27×84th percentile of 83 | 0.36×44th percentile of 83 |
| Short interest (days to cover) | 2.59d31st percentile of 123 | 2.64d33rd percentile of 123 |
Short interest
| FINRA settlement data | MPC | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Shares sold short | 7.3M | 10.4M |
| Change vs prior settlement | -5.0% | -6.3% |
| Days to cover | 2.59 | 2.64 |
| As of settlement | 2026-06-30 | 2026-06-30 |
Source: FINRA Consolidated Short Interest. FINRA is the owner and source of the FINRA-supplied data; republishing or redistributing it is not permitted. Not presented as a percentage of float. No FINRA endorsement of this product is implied.
Insider activity (last 90 days)
| Form 4 open-market activity | MPC | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Buys | 0 | 0 |
| Sells | 3 ($2.0M) | 3 ($5.7M) |
Open-market purchases and sales reported on SEC Form 4 (grants, exercises and tax withholding excluded). For context, about 16% of covered companies saw any open-market insider buy in a 90-day window.
Held by the same investors
6 tracked 13F managers hold both Marathon Petroleum and Valero Energy Corp/tx as of their latest quarterly filings: AQR Capital Management, Bridgewater Associates, Citadel Advisors, Gotham Asset Management, Millennium Management, Two Sigma Investments. See which superinvestors hold your own portfolio with the smart money checker.
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Data sourced from SEC EDGAR (public domain). Figures are as-reported and may be unaudited or restated; verify against the source filings before relying on them. Comparisons are descriptive (higher or lower on a reported figure), not a rating or a recommendation. Informational only. Not investment advice.