MPC vs CNQ vs VLO Stock Comparison

Marathon Petroleum, Canadian Natural Resources and Valero Energy Prices as of Oct 23, 2026 Peers: Industry group
MPC Marathon Petroleum Corp
$457.20 +17.7% 1M +133.3% 1Y
Market cap
$135.82B
P/E
15.9x
Revenue (TTM)
$156.18B
Div. yield
0.01%
Oil Refining Energy
4 wins
CNQ CANADIAN NATURAL RESOURCES Ltd
$55.07 +15.6% 1M +76.3% 1Y
Market cap
$115.21B
P/E
14.3x
Revenue (TTM)
$33.47B
Div. yield
-0.03%
Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Energy
4 wins
VLO Valero Energy Corp/Tx
$419.16 +11.5% 1M +142.1% 1Y
Market cap
$125.25B
P/E
17.4x
Revenue (TTM)
$139.40B
Div. yield
0.01%
Oil Refining Energy
4 wins

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Marathon Petroleum leads on 4 of the 12 questions below (Marathon Petroleum 4, Canadian Natural Resources 4, Valero Energy 4). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionMPCCNQVLOLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $135.82B $115.21B $125.25B MPC
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 15.9x 14.3x 17.4x CNQ
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 6.8x 11.6x 8.4x MPC
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +15.9% +6.7% +12.6% MPC
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 5.5% 24.0% 5.2% CNQ
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 19.7% — 19.8% VLO
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 1.5x 0.3x 0.3x VLO
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.01% -0.03% 0.01% VLO
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +133.3% +76.3% +142.1% VLO
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +46.6%/yr +21.4%/yr +39.0%/yr MPC
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 35.9% 30.9% 37.6% CNQ
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 63/100 76/100 62/100 CNQ

Percentile Scorecard

MPCCNQVLO

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisMPCCNQVLO
Valuation 27 #17 of 23 77 #24 of 99 18 #19 of 23
Growth 72 #6 of 19 81 #19 of 97 67 #7 of 19
Profitability 94 #2 of 19 84 #16 of 96 78 #5 of 19
Financial Health 54 #12 of 25 94 #7 of 102 88 #4 of 25
Shareholder Returns 65 #7 of 18 44 #43 of 76 59 #8 of 18
Overall 63 76 62
  • MPC ranked among 25 companies in Refining and Marketing
  • CNQ ranked among 103 companies in Oil and Gas Upstream
  • VLO ranked among 25 companies in Refining and Marketing

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodMPCCNQVLOSPY
1 month +17.7%+15.6%+11.5% -1.0%
3 months +47.8%+18.6%+38.6% +2.9%
6 months +104.0%+24.5%+77.7% +6.4%
Year to date +181.1%+62.7%+157.5% +11.4%
1 year +133.3%+76.3%+142.1% +13.1%
3 years +207.6%+73.0%+225.4% +79.4%
3 years, per year +45.5%+20.1%+48.2% +21.5%
5 years +577.1%+163.1%+417.5% +67.7%
5 years, per year +46.6%+21.4%+39.0% +10.9%
10 years +937.0%+239.3%+651.7% +255.2%
10 years, per year +26.4%+13.0%+22.4% +13.5%

Risk

MeasureMPCCNQVLOSPY
Volatility, 1Y 35.9%30.9%37.6% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 34.7%32.6%34.4% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y -0.25-0.49-0.37 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 3.712.473.78 1.03
Max drawdown, 5Y -45.9%-38.9%-42.9% -25.4%
From 52-week high -5.7%0.0%-8.8% -2.5%
52-week high $485.05$55.07$459.67 $779.14
52-week low $162.63$30.59$161.94 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleMPCCNQVLO
P/E now vs peer median 15.4xmedian 10.4x 14.3xmedian 13.1x 17.1xmedian 10.4x
P/S now vs peer median 0.8xmedian 0.3x 3.4xmedian 2.0x 0.9xmedian 0.3x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 8.8xmedian 7.1x 3.9xmedian 5.7x 9.4xmedian 7.1x
P/FCF now vs peer median 10.0xmedian 9.4x 6.1xmedian 11.1x 12.0xmedian 9.4x
P/B now vs peer median 5.0xmedian 1.9x —median 1.5x 4.3xmedian 1.9x
PEG now vs peer median -15.03median 0.30 0.27median 2.24 -2.42median 0.30

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsMPCCNQVLO
Revenue $156.18B $33.47B $139.40B
Gross profit $21.79B $26.58B $11.20B
Operating income $14.13B $24.77B $10.01B
Net income $10.31B $8.48B $7.62B
Free cash flow $12.90B $18.68B $10.08B
EPS (diluted) $29.50 $3.83 $24.53
Cash & equivalents $7.77B $1.84B $7.87B
Total debt $33.26B $49.14B $44.07B
Shares (diluted) 290.00M 2.10B 294.00M
Enterprise value $119.57B $112.22B $102.19B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricMPCCNQVLO
P/E 15.4x 14.3x 17.1x
P/FCF 10.0x 6.1x 12.0x
P/Operating cash flow 7.5x 8.9x 11.1x
P/S 0.8x 3.4x 0.9x
P/B 5.0x – 4.3x
P/Tangible book 5.6x – 4.3x
EV/EBITDA 8.8x 3.9x 9.4x
EV/EBIT 10.9x 5.0x 12.4x
EV/Revenue 1.0x 3.7x 0.9x
EV/FCF 11.9x 6.7x 12.3x
EV/Operating cash flow 9.0x 9.7x 11.4x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) -15.03 0.27 -2.42

Growth

14 metrics
MetricMPCCNQVLO
Revenue growth (1Y) 15.9% 6.7% 12.6%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) -0.6% -2.3% -3.9%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 71.5% 5.0% 256.7%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) -5.4% -3.2% -11.2%
Operating income growth (1Y) 163.0% -26.5% 951.6%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) -9.1% -15.2% -12.4%
Net income growth (1Y) 174.5% 42.1% 838.9%
Net income CAGR (3Y) -10.4% 14.2% -12.6%
EPS growth (1Y) 324.1% 408,311% 901.8%
EPS CAGR (3Y) -1.0% 53.8% -7.1%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 164.9% 30.3% 156.5%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 4.8% 5.4% 0.3%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 253.7% 33.0% 222.7%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 1.0% 13.6% 2.4%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricMPCCNQVLO
Gross margin 14.0% 79.4% 8.0%
EBITDA margin 11.2% 94.6% 9.5%
Operating margin 9.0% 74.0% 7.2%
Pretax margin 8.2% 32.2% 7.1%
Net margin 5.5% 24.0% 5.2%
FCF margin 8.3% 55.8% 7.2%
Operating cash flow margin 11.0% 38.5% 7.8%
Return on equity 42.0% – 27.6%
Return on assets 11.3% – 12.0%
Return on invested capital 19.7% – 19.8%
Return on capital employed 22.1% – 22.4%
Asset turnover 1.7x – 2.2x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 1.7x 1.5x 1.4x
Stock comp / revenue – 1.3% –

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricMPCCNQVLO
Debt / assets 35.3% – 17.6%
Debt / equity 1.3x – 0.4x
Net debt / EBITDA 1.5x 0.3x 0.3x
Debt / FCF 2.6x 0.6x 1.1x
Liabilities / assets 72.7% – 56.3%
Equity / assets 27.3% – 43.7%
Interest coverage 10.4x 38.3x 17.8x
Current ratio 1.3x – 1.6x
Quick ratio 0.9x – 1.2x
Cash ratio 0.3x – 0.4x
Altman Z-score 4.03 – 6.01

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricMPCCNQVLO
Dividend yield 0.9% 5.6% 1.1%
Net buyback yield 3.8% -0.3% 4.0%
Shareholder yield 4.7% 5.4% 5.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) 11.3% 42.5% 18.5%
Payout ratio (FCF) 9.0% 19.3% 14.0%
Dividend growth (1Y) 2.8% -8.3% 1.3%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) -3.4% -111.0% -2.2%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusMPCCNQVLO
Forward P/E 6.8xFY2026 11.6xFY2026 8.4xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $67.07FY2026 $4.76FY2026 $49.71FY2026
EPS growth, next FY +526.8%FY2026 +83.8%FY2026 +368.5%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after -15.5% -17.4% -10.4%
Revenue, next fiscal year $192.62BFY2026 $37.80BFY2026 $172.89BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY +42.4%FY2026 +33.7%FY2026 +40.9%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after -10.3% -6.6% -21.1%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersMPCCNQVLO
Held by institutions 75.7% 71.6% 83.6%
Institutions holding 1,930 745 1,967
Change in shares held, QoQ -0.3% -5.0% -1.5%
Institutions buying 855 386 950
Institutions selling 699 242 709
Buyers to sellers 1.22 1.60 1.34

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

MPCCNQVLO
MPC 1.00 0.50 0.87
CNQ 0.50 1.00 0.45
VLO 0.87 0.45 1.00

Add a Peer

Largest companies in the same industry

Related Comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, MPC, CNQ and VLO?

Marathon Petroleum (MPC) is the largest by market capitalisation: Marathon Petroleum (MPC) $135.82B, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) $115.21B, Valero Energy (VLO) $125.25B.

Which stock is cheaper, MPC, CNQ and VLO?

Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (Marathon Petroleum (MPC) 15.9x, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) 14.3x, Valero Energy (VLO) 17.4x). On next year's consensus earnings, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) is cheapest (Marathon Petroleum (MPC) 6.8x, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) 11.6x, Valero Energy (VLO) 8.4x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Marathon Petroleum (MPC) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: Marathon Petroleum (MPC) +15.9%, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) +6.7%, Valero Energy (VLO) +12.6%.

Which company is more profitable?

Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) has the highest net margin (Marathon Petroleum (MPC) 5.5%, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) 24.0%, Valero Energy (VLO) 5.2%). On return on invested capital, Valero Energy (VLO) leads (Marathon Petroleum (MPC) 19.7%, Valero Energy (VLO) 19.8%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year Valero Energy (VLO) returned the most: Marathon Petroleum (MPC) +133.3%, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) +76.3%, Valero Energy (VLO) +142.1%. Over five years, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) compounded fastest (Marathon Petroleum (MPC) +46.6%/yr, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) +21.4%/yr, Valero Energy (VLO) +39.0%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Valero Energy (VLO) has the highest dividend yield: Marathon Petroleum (MPC) 0.01%, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) -0.03%, Valero Energy (VLO) 0.01%. Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) has been the steadiest (Marathon Petroleum (MPC) 35.9%, Canadian Natural Resources (CNQ) 30.9%, Valero Energy (VLO) 37.6%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, MPC, CNQ and VLO?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Marathon Petroleum (MPC) leads on 4. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.