WALD vs ELF

For growth investors, e.

l. f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) is the stronger pick with 28. 3% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 25. 5% for Waldencast plc (WALD). e. l. f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) offers the better valuation at 32. 0x trailing P/E (19. 8x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Waldencast plc (WALD) a "Buy" — based on 4 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.

Over the past 5 years, e.

l. f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) delivered a total return of +100. 9%, compared to -87. 7% for Waldencast plc (WALD). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ELF returned +131. 8% versus WALD's -87. 7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.

By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Waldencast plc (WALD) is the lower-risk stock at 1.

60β versus e. l. f. Beauty, Inc. 's 2. 36β — meaning ELF is approximately 48% more volatile than WALD relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Waldencast plc (WALD) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 25% versus 41% for e. l. f. Beauty, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.

By revenue growth (latest reported year), e.

l. f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) is pulling ahead at 28. 3% versus 25. 5% for Waldencast plc (WALD). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Waldencast plc grew EPS 56. 2% year-over-year, compared to -13. 1% for e. l. f. Beauty, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, ELF leads at 49. 6% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.

e.

l. f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) is the more profitable company, earning 8. 5% net margin versus -15. 5% for Waldencast plc — meaning it keeps 8. 5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ELF leads at 12. 0% versus -21. 4% for WALD. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ELF leads at 71. 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.

Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for WALD: 106.

6% to $2. 50.

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.

For long-horizon retirement investors, Waldencast plc (WALD) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding.

e. l. f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF) carries a higher beta of 2. 36 — meaning larger drawdowns in market downturns, which matters significantly when you cannot wait years for a recovery. Both have compounded well over 10 years (WALD: -87. 7%, ELF: +131. 8%), 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.

These companies operate in different sectors (WALD (Technology) and ELF (Consumer Defensive)), which means they face different economic cycles, regulatory environments, and macro sensitivities — making direct comparison nuanced.

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.