AAPL vs VLO Stock Comparison
AAPL currently leads VLO in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 65 vs 54. The clearest difference is momentum, while VLO has the stronger value profile.
What is the main difference between AAPL and VLO?
AAPL leads the current stock comparison as Apple Inc., with the clearest separation coming from momentum and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Apple Inc. vs Valero Energy Corporation
AAPL leads
AAPL leads by 11 AIQ points, primarily on Momentum and Quality, and the lead has widened from 1 points over 30 sessions.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support AAPL, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Apple Inc.
Valero Energy Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors AAPL over VLO, 65 versus 54 as of Oct 24, 2026. AAPL's advantage is driven primarily by stronger momentum and quality, while VLO holds the stronger value profile. AAPL also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AAPL today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. AAPL lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 11 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Apple Inc. and Valero Energy Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare AAPL and VLO against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum79 vs 49AAPL +30
- Quality80 vs 58AAPL +22
- Value38 vs 58VLO +20
- Risk Resilience68 vs 49AAPL +19
4 of 6 evidence groups favor AAPL. AAPL’s edge is concentrated in momentum and quality; VLO keeps a meaningful value edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-23, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-22.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 6 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum -11
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
AAPL's lead widened by 3 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AAPL and VLO both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
AAPL (Apple Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by momentum and quality.
VLO (Valero Energy Corporation): the counter-case, on value, valuation, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 39% against 16.4%.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
AAPLAAPL on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
VLOVLO on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
VLOVLO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 20 points.
Momentum
AAPLAAPL on the Momentum factor, by 30 points.
Lower downside
AAPLAAPL on Risk Resilience, by 19 points.
Analyst upside
AAPLAAPL on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | AAPL | VLO | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | -4.3% | -11.8% | AAPL has more room |
| Target dispersion | +46.6% | +68.4% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 19 | 9 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | AAPL | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 4.99% | 2.89% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $0.808 | $3.920 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $1.030 | $4.520 |
| Years increased | 5 | 3 |
| No cut in window | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort rank | #254 | #307 |
AAPL grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 4.99% a year against VLO's 2.89%. Neither company reduced its regular dividend in any year of the window.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor AAPL. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | AAPL | 65 vs 54 |
| Fundamentals | AAPLon balance | revenue growth -1.6% vs 13.2%; TTM ROE 137.2% vs 29.9%; gross margin 48.7% vs 11.3%; operating margin 33.2% vs 7.5% — AAPL takes 3 of 4 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | VLO | Value 38 vs 58 |
| Technicals | VLO | Price vs 50-day 5.5% vs 6.8%; vs 200-day 18.1% vs 49.5% |
| Risk Resilience | AAPL | Risk Resilience 68 vs 49 |
| Analyst expectations | AAPL | Target upside -4.3% vs -11.8% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of AAPL and VLO and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 11 points.
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on AAPL.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 24 – Oct 23AAPL lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 11 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- AAPL +11
- 65 vs 54
- 7 sessions ago
- VLO +3
- 61 vs 64
- 30 sessions ago
- AAPL +1
- 60 vs 59
- 90 sessions ago
- Level
- 60 vs 60
The lead changed hands 7 times in this window, most recently on Oct 19 when AAPL moved ahead of VLO.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
5 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
Only AAPL
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
- 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (0.0%)
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
3 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only VLO
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (4.02%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 3 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish, Uptrend Structure Active.
AAPL leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.14%, AIQ 0 points).
Price and the AIQ Score both moved down over the latest session (price -1.64%, AIQ -3 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1VLO closes the Momentum gap — currently 30 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge.
- 2VLO generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as MACD Bullish Crossover.
- 3AAPL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 5 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
AAPL leads on balance| Metric | AAPL | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -1.6% | 13.2% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 1% | 199.1% |
| Gross margin | 48.7% | 11.3% |
| Operating margin | 33.2% | 7.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 137.2% | 29.9% |
| Debt to equity | 0.78 | 0.45 |
Performance
VLO leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | AAPL | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 1.2% | -5.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 2% | 8.3% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 3.2% | 37.5% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 28.3% | 77.8% |
| Year to date | 27.9% | 157.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 32.3% | 165.9% |
Technicals
VLO has the stronger structure| Metric | AAPL | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 72.3 | 50 |
| ADX (14) | 20 | 26.2 |
| Price vs 50-day | 5.5% | 6.8% |
| Price vs 200-day | 18.1% | 49.5% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 16.4% | 39% |
Risk
AAPL is the more resilient| Metric | AAPL | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.58 | -0.37 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.2 | 2.63 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.59 | 4.44 |
| Max drawdown | -13.8% | -12.7% |
| Current drawdown | -0.1% | -8.8% |
| Annualized volatility | 24.1% | 37.6% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2% | -3.1% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, AAPL or VLO?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, AAPL is the stronger of the two as of Oct 24, 2026, scoring 65 against VLO's 54. The edge comes from momentum and quality. VLO is not without a case — it holds the better value profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is AAPL or VLO the better buy right now?
AAPL carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 24, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor AAPL over VLO?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. AAPL leads Momentum by 30 points; AAPL leads Quality by 22 points; VLO leads Value by 20 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, AAPL or VLO?
Analyst price targets imply -4.3% upside for AAPL and -11.8% for VLO, so the Street currently favors AAPL. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, AAPL or VLO?
VLO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. VLO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 20 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, AAPL or VLO?
VLO on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, AAPL or VLO?
AAPL on the Momentum factor, by 30 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, AAPL or VLO?
AAPL is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. AAPL on Risk Resilience, by 19 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is AAPL more profitable than VLO?
AAPL leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 48.7% vs 11.3%; operating margin 33.2% vs 7.5%; ttm roe 137.2% vs 29.9%.
Is AAPL's lead over VLO getting stronger or weaker?
AAPL lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 1 to 11 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-24 and 2026-10-23. The lead has changed hands 7 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-19, when AAPL moved ahead of VLO.
What would change the AAPL vs VLO verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: VLO closes the Momentum gap — currently 30 points behind, the largest single contributor to AAPL's edge; VLO generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as MACD Bullish Crossover; AAPL's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 5 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about AAPL and VLO?
AAPL: 5 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. VLO: 3 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AAPL is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On VLO it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare AAPL and VLO with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.