Here's How Much a $1000 Investment in Valero Energy Made 10 Years Ago Would Be Worth Today

How much a stock's price changes over time is important for most investors, since price performance can both impact your investment portfolio and help you compare investment results across sectors and industries.The fear of missing out, or FOMO, also plays a factor in investing, especially with particular tech giants, as well as popular consumer-facing stocks.What if you'd invested in Valero Energy (VLO) ten years ago? It may not have been easy to hold on to VLO for all that time, but if you did, how much would your investment be worth today?Valero Energy's Business In-DepthWith that in mind, let's take a look at Valero Energy's main business drivers.Valero Energy Corporation, through its subsidiaries, is a multinational manufacturer and marketer of petroleum-based and low-carbon liquid transportation fuels and petrochemical products. The company is headquartered in San Antonio, TX. It was founded in 1980 and is one of the largest independent refiners and marketers of petroleum products in the United States.Valero operates 14 petroleum refineries located in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. These refineries have combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.0 million barrels per day. The refining system includes high-complexity assets with access to inland and imported crudes, product exports and wholesale supply.The company sells its products primarily in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Latin America. Its brand names are carried by around 7,000 outlets. Valero also has wholesale marketing and logistics assets that support product distribution.Valero owns 12 ethanol plants in the U.S. Mid-Continent region. These plants have combined production capacity of approximately 1.7 billion gallons per year. The Ethanol segment includes sales of internally produced ethanol and distillers’ grains.The company is a joint venture member in Diamond Green Diesel Holdings LLC. Diamond Green Diesel produces low-carbon fuels, including renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel, in the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The business has production capacity of approximately 1.2 billion gallons per year. It processes animal fats, used cooking oils, vegetable oils and inedible distillers corn oils.Valero manages its operations through three reportable segments, namely Refining, Renewable Diesel and Ethanol.The Refining segment includes refining operations, wholesale marketing, product supply and distribution, and transportation operations. This segment is segregated geographically into the Gulf Coast, Mid-Continent, West Coast and North Atlantic regions.The Renewable Diesel segment includes the operations of Diamond Green Diesel. It produces renewable diesel, renewable naphtha and sustainable aviation fuel.The Ethanol segment includes the company’s ethanol plants and related product sales. It sells internally produced ethanol and distillers’ grains. Bottom LineAnyone can invest, but building a successful investment portfolio requires research, patience, and a little bit of risk. So, if you had invested in Valero Energy, ten years ago, you're likely feeling pretty good about your investment today.A $1000 investment made in June 2016 would be worth $4,934.74, or a gain of 393.47%, as of June 29, 2026, according to our calculations. This return excludes dividends but includes price appreciation.The S&P 500 rose 260.95% and the price of gold increased 196.91% over the same time frame in comparison.Analysts are anticipating more upside for VLO.Valero's Neutral stance balances refining scale, flexible feedstock access, export reach and disciplined cash returns against execution and valuation risks. Its 14 refineries with throughput capacity of 3.0 MMbls/d can process discounted heavy sour crude and adjust yields as markets change, while gasoline, diesel and jet demand support global product pull. Renewable diesel, SAF and ethanol add low-carbon fuel exposure, and the St. Charles FCC optimization project should lift high-value product output. Liquidity, buybacks and a higher dividend support capital flexibility. However, Port Arthur repair uncertainty, Benicia-related throughput and depreciation effects, shifting trade and renewable fuel policy, and a dividend yield below the industry composite temper the upside after a sharp share-price advance and limit near-term risk-reward.Shares have gained 5.94% over the past four weeks and there have been 9 higher earnings estimate revisions for fiscal 2026 compared to none lower. The consensus estimate has moved up as well.Beyond Nvidia: AI's Second Wave Is HereThe AI revolution has already minted millionaires. But the stocks everyone knows about aren't likely to keep delivering the biggest profits. AI’s second wave is moving from infrastructure to implementation and these companies are at the forefront of this transition, positioned to become what Amazon and Google were to the internet era.See Stocks Now >>This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks