Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) vs Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | LIVE | -5.9% revenue growth vs LESL's -6.6% |
| Quality / Margins | LIVE | 5.0% net margin vs LESL's -22.7% |
| Stability / Safety | LIVE | Beta 0.48 vs LESL's 1.25 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LIVE | +73.6% vs LESL's -94.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | LIVE | 5.7% ROA vs LESL's -42.4%, ROIC 3.5% vs 1.6% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Leslie's is a specialty retailer focused on pool and spa supplies, equipment, and maintenance services. It generates revenue primarily through retail sales of pool chemicals (~40% of sales), equipment, and accessories across its nearly 1,000 physical stores and e-commerce platform, supplemented by installation and repair services. The company's competitive advantage lies in its extensive physical footprint—the largest dedicated pool supply network in the U.S.—which creates convenience for pool owners and drives recurring chemical purchases.
Live Ventures is a diversified holding company operating in flooring manufacturing, steel production, and specialty retail. It generates revenue through three main segments: flooring manufacturing (~40% of sales), steel manufacturing (~35%), and retail operations (~25%) selling entertainment products through its Vintage Stock stores. The company's competitive advantage lies in its operational diversification across recession-resistant industries and its vertically integrated flooring business that controls manufacturing from yarn to finished products.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Segment breakdown not available.
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
LIVE leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). LESL leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
LESL is the larger business by revenue, generating $1.2B annually — 2.7x LIVE's $442M. LIVE is the more profitable business, keeping 5.0% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LESL's -22.7%. On growth, LIVE holds the edge at -2.7% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LIVELive Ventures Inc… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.2B | $442M |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $6M | $29M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$275M | $22M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $8M | $22M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +34.5% | +33.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -0.2% | +3.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -22.7% | +5.0% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.6% | +5.0% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -12.2% | -2.7% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -64.5% | -112.5% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, LIVE's 7.9x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than LESL's 20.2x.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LIVELive Ventures Inc… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $10M | $43M |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $958M | $251M |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.04x | 2.83x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.29x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 20.19x | 7.85x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.01x | 0.10x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 0.64x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 2.04x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), LIVE scores 7/9 vs LESL's 4/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LIVELive Ventures Inc… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +23.3% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -42.4% | +5.7% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.6% | +3.5% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +2.1% | +5.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 2.27x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $948M | $208M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $64M | $9M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.0B | $216M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -3.06x | 5.01x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LIVE five years ago would be worth $5,740 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $23 for LESL. Over the past 12 months, LIVE leads with a +73.6% total return vs LESL's -94.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LIVE at -24.5% vs LESL's -83.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LIVELive Ventures Inc… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -36.4% | -11.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -94.7% | +73.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.6% | -57.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.8% | -42.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.7% | +50.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -83.7% | -24.5% |
Risk & Volatility
LIVE is the less volatile stock with a 0.48 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than LESL's 1.25 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. LIVE currently trades 53.9% from its 52-week high vs LESL's 5.1% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LIVELive Ventures Inc… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.25x | 0.48x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $21.40 | $25.88 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.90 | $6.25 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +5.1% | +53.9% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 39.0 | 30.6 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 150K | 7K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LIVELive Ventures Inc… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | — |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | — |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | — |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +1.2% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Oct 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 100 | 0.32 | -99.7% |
| Live Ventures Incor… (LIVE) | 100 | 182.46 | +82.5% |
Live Ventures Incor… (LIVE) returned -43% over 5 years vs Leslie's, Inc. (LESL)'s -100%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | $893M | $1.2B | +39.1% |
| Live Ventures Incor… (LIVE) | $79M | $445M | +463.5% |
Live Ventures Incorporated's revenue grew from $79M (2016) to $445M (2025) — a 21.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 1.9% | -19.1% | -1094.5% |
| Live Ventures Incor… (LIVE) | 22.6% | 5.1% | -77.4% |
Live Ventures Incorporated's net margin went from 23% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 7 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 89.5 | 46.7 | -47.8% |
| Live Ventures Incor… (LIVE) | 9.9 | 3 | -69.7% |
Leslie's, Inc. has traded in a 14x–90x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-0x. Live Ventures Incorporated has traded in a 3x–10x P/E range over 6 years; current trailing P/E is ~3x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 1.84 | -25.51 | -1489.4% |
| Live Ventures Incor… (LIVE) | 5.4 | 4.93 | -8.7% |
Live Ventures Incorporated's EPS grew from $5.40 (2016) to $4.93 (2025) — a -1% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Leslie's, Inc. generated $-17M FCF in 2025 (-112% vs 2021). Live Ventures Incorporated generated $21M FCF in 2025 (+18% vs 2021).
LESL vs LIVE: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LESL or LIVE a better buy right now?
Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) offers the better valuation at 2.8x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — LESL or LIVE?
Over the past 5 years, Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) delivered a total return of -42.6%, compared to -99.8% for Leslie's, Inc. (LESL). A $10,000 investment in LIVE five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LIVE returned +50.1% versus LESL's -99.7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — LESL or LIVE?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) is the lower-risk stock at 0.48β versus Leslie's, Inc.'s 1.25β — meaning LESL is approximately 160% more volatile than LIVE relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — LESL or LIVE?
Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) is the more profitable company, earning 5.1% net margin versus -19.1% for Leslie's, Inc. — meaning it keeps 5.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LIVE leads at 3.3% versus 1.1% for LESL. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — LESL leads at 35.4%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — LESL or LIVE?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
06Is LESL or LIVE better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Live Ventures Incorporated (LIVE) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.48)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (LIVE: +50.1%, LESL: -99.7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between LESL and LIVE?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. In terms of investment character: LESL is a small-cap quality compounder stock; LIVE is a small-cap deep-value stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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