Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) vs Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) 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 | LOW | 3.1% revenue growth vs LESL's -6.6% |
| Quality / Margins | LOW | 7.7% net margin vs LESL's -22.7% |
| Stability / Safety | LOW | Beta 0.61 vs LESL's 1.25 |
| Dividends | LOW | 1.8% yield; 16-year raise streak; LESL pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | LOW | +8.3% vs LESL's -94.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | LOW | 12.3% ROA vs LESL's -42.4%, ROIC 76.2% 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.
Lowe's is a major home improvement retailer that sells products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating through its physical stores and online channels. It generates revenue primarily from retail sales of national brand-name merchandise and private label products — with professional customers representing a growing segment — along with installation services and extended protection plans. The company's competitive advantage lies in its extensive store network, strong brand recognition, and scale advantages in procurement and distribution.
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
LOW leads in 5 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). LESL leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
LOW is the larger business by revenue, generating $86.3B annually — 71.1x LESL's $1.2B. LOW is the more profitable business, keeping 7.7% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to LESL's -22.7%. On growth, LOW holds the edge at +10.9% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LOWLowe's Companies,… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $1.2B | $86.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $6M | $12.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$275M | $6.7B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $8M | $7.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +34.5% | +33.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -0.2% | +11.8% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -22.7% | +7.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +0.6% | +8.9% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -12.2% | +10.9% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -64.5% | -11.0% |
Valuation Metrics
On an enterprise value basis, LOW's 12.8x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than LESL's 20.2x.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LOWLowe's Companies,… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $10M | $148.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $958M | $154.4B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.04x | 22.33x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 20.96x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 2.52x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 20.19x | 12.76x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.01x | 1.72x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | — |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | 19.36x |
Profitability & Efficiency
On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), LOW scores 6/9 vs LESL's 4/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LOWLowe's Companies,… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | — |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -42.4% | +12.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +1.6% | +76.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +2.1% | +33.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 4 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | — |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $948M | $6.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $64M | $982M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.0B | $7.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -3.06x | 8.90x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in LOW five years ago would be worth $17,610 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $23 for LESL. Over the past 12 months, LOW leads with a +8.3% total return vs LESL's -94.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors LOW at 10.6% vs LESL's -83.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LOWLowe's Companies,… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -36.4% | +7.6% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -94.7% | +8.3% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.6% | +35.2% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.8% | +76.1% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -99.7% | +335.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -83.7% | +10.6% |
Risk & Volatility
LOW is the less volatile stock with a 0.61 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. LOW currently trades 90.3% 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. | LOWLowe's Companies,… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.25x | 0.61x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $21.40 | $293.06 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.90 | $206.39 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +5.1% | +90.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 39.0 | 40.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 150K | 2.2M |
Analyst Outlook
LOW is the only dividend payer here at 1.78% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | LESLLeslie's, Inc. | LOWLowe's Companies,… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $289.77 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 51 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 16 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $4.71 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +0.1% |
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% |
| Lowe's Companies, I… (LOW) | 100 | 167.92 | +67.9% |
Lowe's Companies, I… (LOW) returned +76% over 5 years vs Leslie's, Inc. (LESL)'s -100%. A $10,000 investment in LOW 5 years ago would be worth $17,610 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | $893M | $1.2B | +39.1% |
| Lowe's Companies, I… (LOW) | $65.0B | $86.3B | +32.7% |
Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s revenue grew from $65.0B (2016) to $86.3B (2025) — a 3.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 1.9% | -19.1% | -1094.5% |
| Lowe's Companies, I… (LOW) | 4.8% | 7.7% | +62.2% |
Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s net margin went from 5% (2016) to 8% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 89.5 | 46.7 | -47.8% |
| Lowe's Companies, I… (LOW) | 22.7 | 20.4 | -10.1% |
Leslie's, Inc. has traded in a 14x–90x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~-0x. Lowe's Companies, Inc. has traded in a 17x–32x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~22x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) | 1.84 | -25.51 | -1489.4% |
| Lowe's Companies, I… (LOW) | 3.47 | 11.85 | +241.5% |
Lowe's Companies, Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.47 (2016) to $11.85 (2025) — a 15% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Leslie's, Inc. generated $-17M FCF in 2025 (-112% vs 2021). Lowe's Companies, Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2025 (-7% vs 2021).
LESL vs LOW: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is LESL or LOW a better buy right now?
Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) offers the better valuation at 22.3x trailing P/E (21.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) a "Buy" — based on 51 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. 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 LOW?
Over the past 5 years, Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) delivered a total return of +76.1%, compared to -99.8% for Leslie's, Inc. (LESL). A $10,000 investment in LOW five years ago would be worth approximately $18K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: LOW returned +335.9% 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 LOW?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) is the lower-risk stock at 0.61β versus Leslie's, Inc.'s 1.25β — meaning LESL is approximately 105% more volatile than LOW relative to the S&P 500.
04Which has better profit margins — LESL or LOW?
Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) is the more profitable company, earning 7.7% net margin versus -19.1% for Leslie's, Inc. — meaning it keeps 7.7% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: LOW leads at 11.8% 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 LOW?
In this comparison, LOW (1.8% yield) pays a dividend. LESL does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is LESL or LOW better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Lowe's Companies, Inc. (LOW) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.61), 1.8% yield, +335.9% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (LOW: +335.9%, 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 LOW?
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. LOW pays a dividend while LESL does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. 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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