Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Olaplex Holdings, Inc. (OLPX) vs Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) 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 | SBH | -0.4% revenue growth vs OLPX's -7.8% |
| Value | SBH | Lower P/E (7.8x vs 19.1x) |
| Quality / Margins | SBH | 4.9% net margin vs OLPX's -1.2% |
| Stability / Safety | SBH | Beta 0.85 vs OLPX's 1.40 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | SBH | +78.2% vs OLPX's +11.0% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | SBH | 6.3% ROA vs OLPX's -0.3%, ROIC 11.4% vs 5.1% |
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
Olaplex is a premium hair care company that sells patented bond-building products designed to repair and strengthen damaged hair. It generates revenue through three main channels: professional sales to salons (~30%), specialty retail partnerships (~45%), and direct-to-consumer e-commerce (~25%). The company's key competitive advantage is its patented bis-aminopropyl diglycol dimaleate technology — a unique bond-building molecule that competitors cannot legally replicate.
Sally Beauty Holdings is a specialty retailer and distributor of professional beauty supplies operating through two main segments. The company generates revenue primarily from its Sally Beauty Supply stores serving retail customers (~60% of sales) and its Beauty Systems Group segment selling directly to salons and professionals through stores and sales forces (~40%). Its competitive advantage lies in its extensive physical store network—nearly 4,800 locations—and dual-channel approach that serves both retail consumers and professional salon clients.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
SBH leads in 4 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). OLPX leads in 1 (Analyst Outlook). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
SBH is the larger business by revenue, generating $3.7B annually — 8.9x OLPX's $419M. SBH is the more profitable business, keeping 4.9% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to OLPX's -1.2%. On growth, SBH holds the edge at +0.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | OLPXOlaplex Holdings,… | SBHSally Beauty Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $419M | $3.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $68M | $378M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$5M | $180M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $65M | $253M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +66.4% | +51.7% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +3.5% | +8.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -1.2% | +4.9% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +15.5% | +6.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -3.8% | +0.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -9.9% | -22.4% |
Valuation Metrics
At 8.5x trailing earnings, SBH trades at a 85% valuation discount to OLPX's 54.9x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, SBH's 7.0x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than OLPX's 9.5x.
| Metric | OLPXOlaplex Holdings,… | SBHSally Beauty Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $1.1B | $1.6B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $1.1B | $3.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 54.95x | 8.50x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 19.05x | 7.77x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.62x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 9.46x | 6.97x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.54x | 0.42x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.23x | 2.10x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.57x | 9.07x |
Profitability & Efficiency
SBH delivers a 21.9% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $22 in annual profit, vs $-1 for OLPX. OLPX carries lower financial leverage with a 0.74x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SBH's 1.97x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), SBH scores 8/9 vs OLPX's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | OLPXOlaplex Holdings,… | SBHSally Beauty Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -0.6% | +21.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.3% | +6.3% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +5.1% | +11.4% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +4.0% | +14.6% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.74x | 1.97x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $64M | $1.4B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $586M | $149M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $650M | $1.6B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.79x | 3.74x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in SBH five years ago would be worth $9,079 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $657 for OLPX. Over the past 12 months, SBH leads with a +78.2% total return vs OLPX's +11.0%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SBH at -0.0% vs OLPX's -31.1% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | OLPXOlaplex Holdings,… | SBHSally Beauty Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +19.3% | +10.9% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +11.0% | +78.2% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -67.3% | -0.1% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.4% | -9.2% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -93.4% | -49.1% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -31.1% | -0.0% |
Risk & Volatility
SBH is the less volatile stock with a 0.85 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than OLPX's 1.40 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | OLPXOlaplex Holdings,… | SBHSally Beauty Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.40x | 0.85x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $1.84 | $17.92 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.99 | $7.54 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +87.5% | +89.7% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 60.5 | 57.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.4M | 1.5M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates OLPX as "Hold" and SBH as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 10.5% upside for SBH (target: $18) vs 8.7% for OLPX (target: $2).
| Metric | OLPXOlaplex Holdings,… | SBHSally Beauty Hold… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $1.75 | $17.75 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 14 | 30 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +3.4% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Sep 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olaplex Holdings, I… (OLPX) | 100 | 6.45 | -93.6% |
| Sally Beauty Holdin… (SBH) | 100 | 95.03 | -5.0% |
Sally Beauty Holdin… (SBH) returned -9% over 5 years vs Olaplex Holdings, I… (OLPX)'s -93%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olaplex Holdings, I… (OLPX) | $148M | $423M | +185.2% |
| Sally Beauty Holdin… (SBH) | $4.0B | $3.7B | -6.4% |
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.'s revenue grew from $4.0B (2016) to $3.7B (2025) — a -0.7% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olaplex Holdings, I… (OLPX) | 41.1% | 4.6% | -88.8% |
| Sally Beauty Holdin… (SBH) | 5.6% | 5.3% | -6.2% |
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.'s net margin went from 6% (2016) to 5% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olaplex Holdings, I… (OLPX) | 85.7 | 59 | -31.2% |
| Sally Beauty Holdin… (SBH) | 12 | 7.5 | -37.5% |
Olaplex Holdings, Inc. has traded in a 15x–86x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~55x. Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. has traded in a 7x–13x P/E range over 9 years; current trailing P/E is ~9x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olaplex Holdings, I… (OLPX) | 0.09 | 0.03 | -68.8% |
| Sally Beauty Holdin… (SBH) | 1.5 | 1.89 | +26.0% |
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc.'s EPS grew from $1.50 (2016) to $1.89 (2025) — a 3% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Olaplex Holdings, Inc. generated $142M FCF in 2024 (-28% vs 2021). Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. generated $173M FCF in 2025 (-44% vs 2021).
OLPX vs SBH: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is OLPX or SBH a better buy right now?
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) offers the better valuation at 8.5x trailing P/E (7.8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Olaplex Holdings, Inc. (OLPX) a "Hold" — based on 14 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 has the better valuation — OLPX or SBH?
On trailing P/E, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) is the cheapest at 8.5x versus Olaplex Holdings, Inc. at 54.9x. On forward P/E, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. is actually cheaper at 7.8x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — OLPX or SBH?
Over the past 5 years, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) delivered a total return of -9.2%, compared to -93.4% for Olaplex Holdings, Inc. (OLPX). A $10,000 investment in SBH five years ago would be worth approximately $9K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: SBH returned -49.1% versus OLPX's -93.4%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — OLPX or SBH?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) is the lower-risk stock at 0.85β versus Olaplex Holdings, Inc.'s 1.40β — meaning OLPX is approximately 64% more volatile than SBH relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Olaplex Holdings, Inc. (OLPX) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 74% versus 197% for Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — OLPX or SBH?
Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) is the more profitable company, earning 5.3% net margin versus 4.6% for Olaplex Holdings, Inc. — meaning it keeps 5.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: OLPX leads at 15.8% versus 8.9% for SBH. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — OLPX leads at 69.2%, 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.
06Is OLPX or SBH more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) trades at 7.8x forward P/E versus 19.1x for Olaplex Holdings, Inc. — 11.3x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for SBH: 10.5% to $17.75.
07Which pays a better dividend — OLPX or SBH?
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.
08Is OLPX or SBH better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. (SBH) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.85)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (SBH: -49.1%, OLPX: -93.4%), 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.
09What are the main differences between OLPX and SBH?
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: OLPX is a small-cap quality compounder stock; SBH 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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