ELF vs FIVE Stock Comparison
FIVE currently leads ELF in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 55 vs 51. The clearest difference is risk resilience.
What is the main difference between ELF and FIVE?
FIVE leads the current stock comparison as Five Below, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from risk resilience and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. vs Five Below, Inc.
FIVE leads
FIVE leads by 4 AIQ points, primarily on Risk Resilience and Momentum, having only recently taken the lead back from ELF.
Fragile: 3 of 6 evidence groups support FIVE, the lead recently changed hands, and its current signal state is conflicted.
e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.
Five Below, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors FIVE over ELF, 55 versus 51 as of Oct 31, 2026. FIVE's advantage is driven primarily by stronger risk resilience and momentum. FIVE also shows the weaker technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor FIVE today, and the comparison is rated Fragile on stability: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. FIVE lead: Reversed — ELF led by 14 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; FIVE now leads by 4.
Compare e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. and Five Below, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price return from daily closes; distributions are not included.
Price return comparison
Growth of $10,000, price only
Split-adjusted closes only. Distributions are excluded, which understates the return of any fund or stock that pays them.
Compare ELF and FIVE against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Risk Resilience45 vs 64FIVE +19
- Momentum78 vs 86FIVE +8
- Quality53 vs 54Even
- Value28 vs 27Even
3 of 6 evidence groups favor FIVE. FIVE’s edge is concentrated in risk resilience and momentum.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-28, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-27.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 4 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +14
New signals
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
FIVE's lead widened by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ELF and FIVE both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
FIVE (Five Below, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by risk resilience and momentum.
ELF (e.l.f. Beauty, Inc.): the counter-case, on fundamentals, technicals — but at materially higher volatility, 34.2% against 27.9%.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
FIVEFIVE on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
ELFELF on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
EvenThe two are level on Value.
Momentum
FIVEFIVE on the Momentum factor, by 8 points.
Lower downside
FIVEFIVE on Risk Resilience, by 19 points.
Analyst upside
FIVEFIVE on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | ELF | FIVE | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | -17.2% | +16.6% | FIVE has more room |
| Target dispersion | +83.2% | +73% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 11 | 16 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
3 of 6 covered evidence groups favor FIVE. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | FIVE | 51 vs 55 |
| Fundamentals | ELFon balance | revenue growth 6.7% vs -25.6%; EPS growth 234.5% vs -48.4%; TTM ROE 5.2% vs 21.1%; gross margin 74.4% vs 34.8%; operating margin 10.5% vs 11% — ELF takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | Even | Value 28 vs 27 |
| Technicals | ELF | Price vs 50-day 6.4% vs 3.7%; vs 200-day 42.4% vs 7.8% |
| Risk Resilience | FIVE | Risk Resilience 45 vs 64 |
| Analyst expectations | FIVE | Target upside -17.2% vs 16.6% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ELF and FIVE and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The lead has already changed hands inside the comparison window. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on FIVE.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28FIVE lead: Reversed — ELF led by 14 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; FIVE now leads by 4.
- Today
- FIVE +4
- 51 vs 55
- 7 sessions ago
- ELF +2
- 51 vs 49
- 30 sessions ago
- ELF +14
- 51 vs 37
- 90 sessions ago
- FIVE +3
- 51 vs 54
The lead changed hands 4 times in this window, most recently on Oct 26 when FIVE moved ahead of ELF.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
4 bullish / 0 bearish
No signal that the other name lacks.
4 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
Only FIVE
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 4 more signals that do not separate them: Golden Cross Active, EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish, Uptrend Structure Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.
FIVE leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -1.12%, AIQ +1 points).
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 3 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -1.85%, AIQ +3 points).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1ELF closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 19 points behind, the largest single contributor to FIVE's edge.
- 2ELF's existing bullish trend signals translate into factor-score gains — the rules are already firing, but the scores have not yet followed.
- 3FIVE's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
ELF leads on balance| Metric | ELF | FIVE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 6.7% | -25.6% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 234.5% | -48.4% |
| Gross margin | 74.4% | 34.8% |
| Operating margin | 10.5% | 11% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 5.2% | 21.1% |
| Debt to equity | 0.79 | 0.86 |
Performance
ELF leads 4 of 6 windows| Metric | ELF | FIVE |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 1.4% | 4.6% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 14.3% | 6.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 40.3% | 7% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 77.6% | 2.8% |
| Year to date | 50.8% | 24.5% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -6% | 50% |
Technicals
ELF has the stronger structure| Metric | ELF | FIVE |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 69.4 | 83.1 |
| ADX (14) | 38.3 | 18.9 |
| Price vs 50-day | 6.4% | 3.7% |
| Price vs 200-day | 42.4% | 7.8% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 34.2% | 27.9% |
Risk
FIVE is the more resilient| Metric | ELF | FIVE |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.63 | 0.81 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.09 | 1.08 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.1 | 1.49 |
| Max drawdown | -62.4% | -28.9% |
| Current drawdown | -12.4% | -10.8% |
| Annualized volatility | 65.3% | 38.1% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -5.3% | -3.3% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, ELF or FIVE?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, FIVE is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 55 against ELF's 51. The edge comes from risk resilience and momentum. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is ELF or FIVE the better buy right now?
FIVE carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Fragile — 3 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Fragile rating means the conclusion is sensitive: the AIQ gap is narrow at 4 points. Treat the lead as provisional.
Why does the AIQ Score favor FIVE over ELF?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. FIVE leads Risk Resilience by 19 points; FIVE leads Momentum by 8 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, ELF or FIVE?
Analyst price targets imply -17.2% upside for ELF and +16.6% for FIVE, so the Street currently favors FIVE. The model and the Street agree here, which is a broader base of evidence than either alone. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, ELF or FIVE?
Neither name separates on the peer-relative Value factor. The two are level on Value. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, ELF or FIVE?
ELF on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, ELF or FIVE?
FIVE on the Momentum factor, by 8 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, ELF or FIVE?
FIVE is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. FIVE on Risk Resilience, by 19 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is ELF more profitable than FIVE?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 74.4% vs 34.8%; operating margin 10.5% vs 11%; ttm roe 5.2% vs 21.1%. ELF leads on one measure and FIVE on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
Is FIVE's lead over ELF getting stronger or weaker?
FIVE lead: Reversed — ELF led by 14 AIQ points 30 sessions ago; FIVE now leads by 4. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has changed hands 4 times in that window, most recently on 2026-10-26, when FIVE moved ahead of ELF.
What would change the ELF vs FIVE verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: ELF closes the Risk Resilience gap — currently 19 points behind, the largest single contributor to FIVE's edge; ELF's existing bullish trend signals translate into factor-score gains — the rules are already firing, but the scores have not yet followed; FIVE's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 4 bullish and 1 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about ELF and FIVE?
ELF: 4 bullish / 0 bearish. FIVE: 4 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on ELF is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On FIVE it is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon).
Compare ELF and FIVE with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.