Is Valero Energy (VLO) Stock Outpacing Its Oils-Energy Peers This Year?

For those looking to find strong Oils-Energy stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Valero Energy (VLO) is a stock that can certainly grab the attention of many investors, but do its recent returns compare favorably to the sector as a whole? One simple way to answer this question is to take a look at the year-to-date performance of VLO and the rest of the Oils-Energy group's stocks.

Valero Energy is a member of our Oils-Energy group, which includes 252 different companies and currently sits at #8 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank gauges the strength of our 16 individual sector groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups.

The Zacks Rank is a successful stock-picking model that emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions. The system highlights a number of different stocks that could be poised to outperform the broader market over the next one to three months. VLO is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for VLO's full-year earnings has moved 237.50% higher. This shows that analyst sentiment has improved and the company's earnings outlook is stronger.

According to our latest data, VLO has moved about 36.08% on a year-to-date basis. At the same time, Oils-Energy stocks have gained an average of 14.58%. This means that Valero Energy is outperforming the sector as a whole this year.

Breaking things down more, VLO is a member of the Oil and Gas - Refining and Marketing industry, which includes 14 individual companies and currently sits at #219 in the Zacks Industry Rank. On average, stocks in this group have gained 29.67% this year, meaning that VLO is performing better in terms of year-to-date returns.

Investors with an interest in Oils-Energy stocks should continue to track VLO. The stock will be looking to continue its solid performance.

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