Valero Energy Corporation 🇺🇸
VLO • Semiconductors • USA
⚡ 83.0/100
Wide Moat Score™
$352.36
+0.85% (24H)
Fundamental Snapshot • Market Cap: $101.5B
PEG Ratio
0.28x
GARP / VALUE
Forward P/E
8.1x
GROWTH FAIR
Revenue Growth YoY
+51.7%
ROBUST EXPANSION
Gross Margin
16.1%
MODERATE
Free Cash Flow
$8.4B
CASH FORTRESS
Debt / EBITDA
0.8x
SOLVENT BALANCE
📊 Proprietary 12-Point Fundamental Audit
| Audit Dimension | Benchmark Criterion | VLO Actual | Evaluation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Economic Moat Strength | Software lock-in / high switching barrier / patent moat | Moat Score 83.0/100 | ✅ WIDE MOAT |
| 2. Pricing Power & Margins | Gross Margin > 40% sustainable | 16.1% Gross Margin | ⚠️ MODERATE |
| 3. Revenue Acceleration | YoY Top-Line Growth > 15% | +51.7% YoY | ✅ PASSED |
| 4. Peter Lynch PEG Ratio | PEG < 1.2x (Growth at a Reasonable Price) | 0.28x PEG Ratio | ✅ PASSED |
| 5. Fortress Balance Sheet | Debt / EBITDA < 2.5x | 0.8x Net Leverage | ✅ PASSED |
| 6. Free Cash Flow Generation | Positive and compounding FCF | $8.4B Free Cash Flow | ✅ PASSED |
| 7. Multiple vs Sector Median | Forward P/E reasonable vs earnings growth | Forward P/E: 8.1x | ✅ ATTRACTIVE MULTIPLE |
| 8. Management & Insider Ownership | Insider Ownership > 3% | 0.4% Insider Equity | ℹ️ INSTITUTIONAL |
| 9. Superinvestor Whale Backing | Held by Top 25 13F Wall St Whales | Institutional Superinvestor Interest | ℹ️ SCREENED |
| 10. Secular Industry Tailwinds | Exposure to multi-year compound themes | Semiconductors sector expansion | ✅ PASSED |
| 11. Trailing P/E Multiple | Historical earnings multiple sanity | Trailing P/E: 14.7x | ✅ PASSED |
| 12. Overall Moat Conviction | Composite algorithmic evaluation | Overall Score: 83.0/100 | ✅ HIGH CONVICTION |
📝 MoatPicks Investment Thesis
Competitive Moat Breakdown: High-quality compounder passing 9/9 fundamental checks. Strong balance sheet with Forward PER compression (8.1x vs 14.7x) and robust Free Cash Flow generation.
Valuation Verdict: Trading at a Forward P/E of 8.1x and PEG ratio of 0.28x, Valero Energy Corporation satisfies core fundamental screens for quality and durability.