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Side-by-side financial comparison of Lowe's (LOW) and Valero Energy (VLO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Valero Energy is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($30.4B vs $20.8B, roughly 1.5× Lowe's). Lowe's runs the higher net margin — 7.8% vs 3.7%, a 4.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Lowe's posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.2% vs -1.2%). Over the past eight quarters, Valero Energy's revenue compounded faster (-2.2% CAGR vs -8.7%).
Lowe's Companies, Inc. is an American retail company specializing in home improvement. Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, the company operates a chain of retail stores in the United States. As of October 28, 2022, Lowe's and its related businesses operated 2,181 home improvement and hardware stores in North America.
Valero Energy Corporation is an American-based fuels producer mostly involved in manufacturing and marketing transportation fuels and other related products. It is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, United States. Throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, the company owns and operates 15 refineries with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3.2 million barrels per day, two renewable diesel plants that produce approximately 1.
LOW vs VLO — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q3 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $20.8B | $30.4B |
| Net Profit | $1.6B | $1.1B |
| Gross Margin | 34.2% | 6.3% |
| Operating Margin | 11.9% | 5.2% |
| Net Margin | 7.8% | 3.7% |
| Revenue YoY | 3.2% | -1.2% |
| Net Profit YoY | -4.7% | 303.6% |
| EPS (diluted) | $2.88 | $3.66 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q4 25 | $20.8B | $30.4B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $32.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $20.9B | $29.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $30.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $20.2B | $30.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $23.6B | $32.9B | ||
| Q2 24 | $21.4B | $34.5B | ||
| Q1 24 | $18.6B | $31.8B |
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $1.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.6B | $714.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-595.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.7B | $281.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.4B | $364.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.8B | $880.0M | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.0B | $1.2B |
| Q4 25 | 34.2% | 6.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 5.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | 33.4% | 4.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 1.7% | ||
| Q4 24 | 33.7% | 2.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 33.5% | 2.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 33.2% | 4.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 32.4% | 6.2% |
| Q4 25 | 11.9% | 5.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 4.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 11.9% | 3.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | -3.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 12.6% | 1.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 14.6% | 1.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 12.4% | 3.5% | ||
| Q1 24 | 9.1% | 5.3% |
| Q4 25 | 7.8% | 3.7% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 3.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 7.8% | 2.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | -2.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 8.4% | 0.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 10.1% | 1.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 8.2% | 2.6% | ||
| Q1 24 | 5.5% | 3.9% |
| Q4 25 | $2.88 | $3.66 | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $3.53 | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.92 | $2.28 | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $-1.90 | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.99 | $0.98 | ||
| Q3 24 | $4.17 | $1.14 | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.06 | $2.71 | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.81 | $3.75 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $1.0B | $4.7B |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $37.5B | $9.7B |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $-10.4B | $23.7B |
| Total Assets | $53.5B | $58.0B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | 0.41× |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $1.0B | $4.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $4.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.4B | $4.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $4.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.6B | $4.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $4.7B | $5.2B | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.5B | $5.2B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.2B | $4.9B |
| Q4 25 | $37.5B | $9.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $9.7B | ||
| Q2 25 | $30.5B | $10.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $10.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $32.9B | $9.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $34.7B | $9.8B | ||
| Q2 24 | $34.6B | $9.7B | ||
| Q1 24 | $35.4B | $10.0B |
| Q4 25 | $-10.4B | $23.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $23.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-13.3B | $24.1B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $23.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $-13.4B | $24.5B | ||
| Q3 24 | $-13.8B | $25.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $-14.6B | $25.4B | ||
| Q1 24 | $-15.1B | $26.1B |
| Q4 25 | $53.5B | $58.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $58.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $45.4B | $59.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $59.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $44.7B | $60.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $44.9B | $60.4B | ||
| Q2 24 | $45.4B | $63.6B | ||
| Q1 24 | $41.8B | $62.6B |
| Q4 25 | — | 0.41× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 0.41× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 0.43× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 0.44× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 0.40× | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 0.39× | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 0.38× | ||
| Q1 24 | — | 0.39× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $687.0M | $2.1B |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $90.0M | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 0.4% | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 2.9% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 0.43× | 1.81× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $6.4B | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q4 25 | $687.0M | $2.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $1.9B | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.4B | $936.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $952.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.3B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.2B | $1.3B | ||
| Q2 24 | $4.3B | $2.5B | ||
| Q1 24 | $1.1B | $1.8B |
| Q4 25 | $90.0M | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $2.9B | $529.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | — | $293.0M | ||
| Q4 24 | $728.0M | $523.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.7B | $866.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.9B | $2.1B | ||
| Q1 24 | $488.0M | $1.2B |
| Q4 25 | 0.4% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 4.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | 13.7% | 1.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 1.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.6% | 1.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 11.6% | 2.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 18.2% | 5.9% | ||
| Q1 24 | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| Q4 25 | 2.9% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 1.3% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.5% | 1.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 2.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.8% | 1.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.8% | 1.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.8% | 1.2% | ||
| Q1 24 | 3.3% | 2.1% |
| Q4 25 | 0.43× | 1.81× | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 1.72× | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.06× | 1.31× | ||
| Q1 25 | — | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.77× | 3.81× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.32× | 3.56× | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.43× | 2.81× | ||
| Q1 24 | 1.09× | 1.48× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
LOW
| Home Decor | $7.8B | 37% |
| Building Products | $6.9B | 33% |
| Hardlines | $5.1B | 25% |
| Services | $753.0M | 4% |
| Other | $384.0M | 2% |
VLO
| Distillates | $14.3B | 47% |
| Gasoline And Blendstocks | $12.5B | 41% |
| Manufactured Product Other | $1.8B | 6% |
| Ethanol Product | $784.0M | 3% |
| Renewable Diesel Product | $589.0M | 2% |
| Distillers Grains | $194.0M | 1% |
| Neat SAF | $118.0M | 0% |
| Renewable Naphtha Product | $24.0M | 0% |
