SPY vs VLO Stock Comparison

Compare SPY and VLO across AIQ Score, fundamentals, valuation, momentum, risk, analyst expectations and current market evidence.

Market data as of Sep 6, 2026 market close· AIQ score gap 0 points
SPY
Equity
vs
VLO
Energy
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF
Price
$770
Day move
-0.39%
AIQ Score
64/100
Best edge
Risk Resilience
Sector
Equity
VLO
Valero Energy Corporation
Price
$371
Day move
+0.01%
AIQ Score
64/100
Best edge
Momentum
Sector
Energy

What is the main difference between SPY and VLO?

SPY and VLO are close on the current AIQ evidence, so the better fit depends more on objective, risk tolerance and valuation preference than on a single headline score.

AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF vs Valero Energy Corporation

Data as of Sep 6, 2026· market close· VLO (stock) vs SPY (ETF)· Coverage 66/66 fields· 42/42 directly comparable· Moderate confidence
AIQ VerdictFragileAIQ Comparison Conviction 3/10

SPY and VLO are effectively level

SPY and VLO are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Evidence agreement: 3 of 4Comparison trend: Weakening
SPY

State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF

AIQ Score
64/100
AIQ Edge Score
9/10
VLO

Valero Energy Corporation

AIQ Score
64/100
AIQ Edge Score
10/10

The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate SPY and VLO as of Sep 6, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.

Compare State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF 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.

SPY
+70.8%
VLO
+482.0%

Total return comparison

Growth of $10,000

SPY $17,081 · VLO $58,198

Based on available close-price history. Distribution reinvestment is not added unless already reflected in the source series.

Compare SPY and VLO against another ticker

Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.

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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.

SPY advantage
0
VLO advantage
  • Risk Resilience15%89 vs 58
    SPY +31
  • Quality30%84 vs 58
    SPY +26
  • Momentum25%57 vs 82
    VLO +25
  • Value30%39 vs 58
    VLO +19

Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.

What changed since the last close

Latest scored session 2026-09-05, compared against the prior scored session 2026-09-04.

SPY0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

VLO0 AIQ

No factor moved materially.

No new signals fired.

Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — SPY and VLO both carry a full feed there.

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

Even

Neither separates on the overall score.

Growth

Even

Growth figures are not covered for both names.

Value

VLO

VLO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 19 points.

Momentum

VLO

VLO on the Momentum factor, by 25 points.

Lower downside

SPY

SPY on Risk Resilience, by 31 points.

Analyst upside

Even

Analyst targets are level or not covered for both names.

AIQ vs Wall Street

Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.

MeasureSPYVLONote
Implied upside to target-17%Level
Target dispersion+75.4%Lower is tighter analyst agreement
ConsensusBuyContext, not a primary driver
Analysts covering10Higher coverage generally improves confidence

Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

AIQ Agreement Matrix

How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.

Evidence groupFavorsReading
AIQ ScoreEven64 vs 64
FundamentalsNot coveredNot covered
ValuationVLOValue 39 vs 58
TechnicalsVLOPrice vs 50-day 1.8% vs 17.7%; vs 200-day 8.1% vs 54.6%
Risk ResilienceSPYRisk Resilience 89 vs 58
Analyst expectationsNot coveredNot covered

AIQ Decision Stability

Fragile

The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.

  • The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
  • Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)

How the comparison changed

120 daily snapshots · Apr 24 Sep 5

SPY lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 10 to 0 points over 30 sessions.

Apr 24SPY leads above the line · VLO leads belowSep 5
Today
Level
64 vs 64
7 sessions ago
SPY +5
64 vs 59
30 sessions ago
SPY +10
71 vs 61
90 sessions ago
SPY +2
60 vs 58

The lead changed hands 5 times in this window, most recently on Sep 2 when VLO moved ahead of SPY.

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.

SPYConflicted

4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (6.28%)
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon
  • 52-Week High Proximity bullish, risk, long horizon (0.8%)
VLO

6 bullish / 0 bearish

  • Golden Cross Active bullish, trend, long horizon (31.43%)
  • Keltner Channel Breakout bullish, volatility, short horizon
  • EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish bullish, trend, medium horizon

Price vs model alignment

Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.

SPYNo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -0.39%, AIQ 0 points).

VLONo material change

Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price +0.01%, AIQ 0 points).

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

Split
MetricSPYVLO
Revenue growth (YoY)13.2%
EPS growth (YoY)199.1%
Gross margin11.3%
Operating margin7.5%
Return on equity (TTM)29.9%
Debt to equity0.45

Performance

VLO leads 6 of 6 windows
MetricSPYVLO
1 week (5 sessions)0.1%5.2%
1 month (20 sessions)-0.4%24.3%
3 months (63 sessions)4.4%44.9%
6 months (126 sessions)14.5%65%
Year to date12.9%122.2%
1 year (252 sessions)19.6%138.6%

Technicals

VLO has the stronger structure
MetricSPYVLO
RSI (14)47.569.5
ADX (14)13.634.5
Price vs 50-day1.8%17.7%
Price vs 200-day8.1%54.6%
Volatility (1M, annualized)8.1%28.8%

Risk

SPY is the more resilient
MetricSPYVLO
Beta1-0.27
Sharpe ratio1.12.48
Sortino ratio1.564.27
Max drawdown-9.1%-12.7%
Current drawdown-1%0%
Annualized volatility12.8%36.2%
Value at risk (95%)-1.4%-3%

Straight answers

Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.

Which has more analyst upside, SPY or VLO?

Analyst price targets imply not covered upside for SPY and -17% for VLO. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.

Which is better value, SPY or VLO?

VLO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. VLO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 19 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, SPY or VLO?

Growth figures are not covered for both names. 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, SPY or VLO?

VLO on the Momentum factor, by 25 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, SPY or VLO?

SPY is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. SPY on Risk Resilience, by 31 points. The Risk Resilience factor weights 15% of the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.

Is SPY more profitable than VLO?

Margin data is not comparable for both names in the current snapshot.

What do the current signals say about SPY and VLO?

SPY: 4 bullish / 1 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. VLO: 6 bullish / 0 bearish. 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 SPY is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On VLO it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).

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.