PSX vs VLO Stock Comparison
Compare PSX and VLO across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.
What is the main difference between PSX and VLO?
VLO leads the current stock comparison as Valero Energy Corporation, with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Phillips 66 vs Valero Energy Corporation
VLO leads
VLO leads by 5 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Value. Wall Street currently favors PSX on target upside.
Fragile: 4 of 6 evidence groups support VLO.
Phillips 66
Valero Energy Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors VLO over PSX, 64 versus 59 as of Sep 6, 2026. VLO's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and value. VLO also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors PSX. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor VLO today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points.
Compare Phillips 66 and Valero Energy Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price-return comparison using available daily close history.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000
Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.
Compare PSX 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.
- Quality30%49 vs 58VLO +9
- Value30%54 vs 58VLO +4
- Momentum25%78 vs 82VLO +4
- Risk Resilience15%56 vs 58Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor VLO. VLO’s edge is concentrated in quality and value.
The central trade-off
VLO (Valero Energy Corporation): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and value.
PSX (Phillips 66): the counter-case, on analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
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
VLOVLO on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value at 30% each.
Growth
VLOVLO on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
VLOVLO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 4 points.
Momentum
VLOVLO on the Momentum factor, by 4 points.
Lower downside
VLOVLO carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
PSXPSX on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors VLO, analyst targets favor PSX. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | PSX | VLO | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | -14.5% | -17% | PSX has more room |
| Target dispersion | +73.9% | +75.4% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 9 | 10 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor VLO. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | VLO | 59 vs 64 |
| Fundamentals | VLOon balance | revenue growth 49.7% vs 13.2%; EPS growth 17.8% vs 199.1%; TTM ROE 24.4% vs 29.9%; gross margin 9.8% vs 11.3%; operating margin 6.7% vs 7.5% — VLO takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | VLO | Value 54 vs 58 |
| Technicals | VLO | Price vs 50-day 19% vs 17.7%; vs 200-day 48% vs 54.6% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 56 vs 58 |
| Analyst expectations | PSX | Target upside -14.5% vs -17% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of PSX and VLO and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (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 VLO.
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.
- 1PSX closes the Quality gap — currently 9 points behind, the largest single contributor to VLO's edge.
- 2PSX generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover.
- 3VLO starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — the composite weights Quality and Value at 30% each, 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
VLO leads on balance| Metric | PSX | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 49.7% | 13.2% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 17.8% | 199.1% |
| Gross margin | 9.8% | 11.3% |
| Operating margin | 6.7% | 7.5% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 24.4% | 29.9% |
| Debt to equity | 0.65 | 0.45 |
Performance
VLO leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | PSX | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 4.5% | 5.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 25.1% | 24.3% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 39.3% | 44.9% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 53.7% | 65% |
| Year to date | 95% | 122.2% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 95.4% | 138.6% |
Technicals
VLO has the stronger structure| Metric | PSX | VLO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 67.7 | 69.5 |
| ADX (14) | 46.2 | 34.5 |
| Price vs 50-day | 19% | 17.7% |
| Price vs 200-day | 48% | 54.6% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 30.2% | 28.8% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, PSX or VLO?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, VLO is the stronger of the two as of Sep 6, 2026, scoring 64 against PSX's 59. The edge comes from quality and value. 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 PSX or VLO the better buy right now?
VLO carries the stronger systematic profile as of Sep 6, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 5 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor VLO over PSX?
The composite weights Quality at 30%, Value at 30%, Momentum at 25% and Risk Resilience at 15%. VLO leads Quality by 9 points; VLO leads Value by 4 points; VLO leads Momentum by 4 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, PSX or VLO?
Analyst price targets imply -14.5% upside for PSX and -17% for VLO, so the Street currently favors PSX. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors VLO. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, PSX or VLO?
VLO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. VLO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 4 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, PSX 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, PSX or VLO?
VLO on the Momentum factor, by 4 points. Momentum carries 25% of 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, PSX or VLO?
VLO is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. VLO carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is PSX more profitable than VLO?
VLO leads on the comparable margin measures — gross margin 9.8% vs 11.3%; operating margin 6.7% vs 7.5%; ttm roe 24.4% vs 29.9%.
What would change the PSX vs VLO verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: PSX closes the Quality gap — currently 9 points behind, the largest single contributor to VLO's edge; PSX generates a confirmed bullish trend signal it does not currently carry, such as Golden Cross Active or MACD Bullish Crossover; VLO starts generating bearish momentum or trend signals; a regime shift changes factor weighting — the composite weights Quality and Value at 30% each, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
Compare PSX and VLO with others
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality (30%), Value (30%), Momentum (25%) and Risk (15%). 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.