COMPARE · Data as of August 24, 2026
EL vs ELF
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. EL scored 37.6, ELF scored 56.3 — ELF leads.
Compare another set
EL
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
37.6
$104.13 · $37.7B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
18.7
ELF leads
ELF
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
56.3
$101.94 · $6.0B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- Fastest growthELF+31.2%
- Strongest balance sheetELF0.80
- Highest qualityEL52 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
EL
stronger →← stronger
ELF
52
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
47
36
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
94
29
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
40
ELF is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
EL
ELF
$1.3bC+
FCF
$280mC
+5.0%C+
Rev
+31.2%A
2.43C
D/E
0.80B
2.5xC+
P/S
—
2.12C
PEG
1.37B
—
P/E
104.0xD
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
EL
ELF
68% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
134% above
~25%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~28%/yr
-51%
1-yr DCF upside
-59%
-40%
5-yr DCF upside
-57%
-22%
10-yr DCF upside
-55%
These two disagree on this pair: the Value pillar ranks cheapness against sector peers, while price-vs-fair-value is an absolute read. A name can be the better value in its sector and still the dearer one on cash flows.
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
EL
Why this score
- Cut its dividend
ELF
Why this score
- Diluting shareholders
The companies
ELThe Estée Lauder Companies Inc.
Why now
Household & Personal Products · market cap $37.7b. 14% off the 52-week high of $121.64. 26 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $105.85 (implying +2% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
D/E 2.43 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Net margin 1.2% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first. ROE 5% is below the long-run sustainable threshold of ~10% — capital efficiency would need to improve for the equity base to compound at the market rate.
ELFe.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
Why now
Household & Personal Products · market cap $6.0b. Down 32% from 52-week high of $150.99 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +31% — in hypergrowth territory. 16 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $97.75 (implying -4% upside).
Moat
Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong.
Risk
Trailing P/E 104.0x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. Down 32% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Beta 2.39 implies above-market volatility — position-size to the drawdowns this name will produce in a market correction, not to its bull-case return.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where EL and ELF diverge
On the headline score the gap is 18.7 points in favor of ELF. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- GrowthEL 36.2 · ELF 93.9ELF +57.7
- ValueEL 28.6 · ELF 40.1ELF +11.5
- QualityEL 51.6 · ELF 47.4EL +4.2
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.