LOW vs SBUX Stock Comparison
LOW currently leads SBUX in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 54 vs 48. The clearest difference is value, while SBUX has the stronger momentum profile.
What is the main difference between LOW and SBUX?
LOW leads the current stock comparison as Lowe's Companies, Inc., with the clearest separation coming from value and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Lowe's Companies, Inc. vs Starbucks Corporation
LOW leads
LOW leads by 6 AIQ points, primarily on Value.
Competitive: 4 of 6 evidence groups support LOW, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Starbucks Corporation
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors LOW over SBUX, 54 versus 48 as of Oct 31, 2026. LOW's advantage is driven primarily by stronger value, while SBUX holds the stronger momentum profile. LOW also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average. 4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor LOW today, and the comparison is rated Competitive on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. LOW lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 6 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Lowe's Companies, Inc. and Starbucks Corporation across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare LOW and SBUX against another ticker
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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.
- Value53 vs 24LOW +29
- Momentum71 vs 82SBUX +11
- Quality45 vs 44Even
- Risk Resilience49 vs 50Even
4 of 6 evidence groups favor LOW. LOW’s edge is concentrated in value; SBUX keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
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 -5
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 2 active signals are unchanged.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 5 active signals are unchanged.
LOW's lead narrowed by 2 AIQ points in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — LOW and SBUX both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
LOW (Lowe's Companies, Inc.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by value.
SBUX (Starbucks Corporation): the counter-case, on momentum, technicals.
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
LOWLOW on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
SBUXSBUX on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
LOWLOW on the peer-relative Value factor, by 29 points.
Momentum
SBUXSBUX on the Momentum factor, by 11 points.
Lower downside
SBUXSBUX carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility.
Analyst upside
LOWLOW 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 | LOW | SBUX | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +18.2% | +13.3% | LOW has more room |
| Target dispersion | +36.4% | +21.3% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Hold | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 11 | 11 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Dividend growth
| Dividend metric | LOW | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| 5Y dividend CAGR | 15.87% | 7.84% |
| 2020 regular DPS | $2.250 | $1.680 |
| 2025 regular DPS | $4.700 | $2.450 |
| Years increased | 5 | 5 |
| No cut in window | Yes | Yes |
| Cohort rank | #29 | #149 |
LOW grew its split-adjusted regular dividend faster over 2020–2025 — 15.87% a year against SBUX's 7.84%. Neither company reduced its regular dividend in any year of the window.
Yield and payout ratio shown elsewhere on this page are current values, not part of the study window.
Split-adjusted regular dividends per share, 2020–2025, excluding special dividends. Research as of Sep 19, 2026.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
4 of 6 covered evidence groups favor LOW. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | LOW | 54 vs 48 |
| Fundamentals | LOWon balance | revenue growth 12.5% vs -2.2%; EPS growth 47.6% vs 102.2%; TTM ROE -71.8% vs -24.3%; gross margin 33.1% vs 31.7%; operating margin 11.4% vs 9.4% — LOW takes 3 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | LOW | Value 53 vs 24 |
| Technicals | SBUX | Price vs 50-day 6.3% vs 4.4%; vs 200-day -12.5% vs 3.5% |
| Risk Resilience | Even | Risk Resilience 49 vs 50 |
| Analyst expectations | LOW | Target upside 18.2% vs 13.3% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of LOW and SBUX and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
- The AIQ gap is moderate at 6 points.
- The lead has been steady session to session. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (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 LOW.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 29 – Oct 28LOW lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 6 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- LOW +6
- 54 vs 48
- 7 sessions ago
- LOW +8
- 56 vs 48
- 30 sessions ago
- LOW +8
- 44 vs 36
- 90 sessions ago
- SBUX +1
- 44 vs 45
The lead changed hands 3 times in this window, most recently on Aug 26 when SBUX moved ahead of LOW.
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.
1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted
No signal that the other name lacks.
3 bullish / 2 bearish, conflicted
Only SBUX
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
Both carry 2 more signals that do not separate them: Death Cross Active, MACD Bullish Crossover.
LOW 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 up while the AIQ Score moved down 2 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price +0.86%, AIQ -2 points).
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -1.74%, AIQ 0 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.
- 1SBUX closes the Value gap — currently 29 points behind, the largest single contributor to LOW's edge.
- 2SBUX's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3LOW's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 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
LOW leads on balance| Metric | LOW | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 12.5% | -2.2% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 47.6% | 102.2% |
| Gross margin | 33.1% | 31.7% |
| Operating margin | 11.4% | 9.4% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | -71.8% | -24.3% |
| Debt to equity | -5.65 | -2.92 |
Performance
SBUX leads 6 of 6 windows| Metric | LOW | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 0.9% | 4.2% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 7.7% | 9.8% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -5.6% | -2.5% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -15% | -2.2% |
| Year to date | -17.7% | 22.6% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | -18.3% | 19.9% |
Technicals
SBUX has the stronger structure| Metric | LOW | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 63.2 | 77.3 |
| ADX (14) | 27.4 | 30.3 |
| Price vs 50-day | 6.3% | 4.4% |
| Price vs 200-day | -12.5% | 3.5% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 30.6% | 25.6% |
Risk
Split| Metric | LOW | SBUX |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 0.61 | 0.54 |
| Sharpe ratio | -0.74 | 0.68 |
| Sortino ratio | -1.33 | 1.27 |
| Max drawdown | -37.5% | -16.4% |
| Current drawdown | -31% | -4.9% |
| Annualized volatility | 28.2% | 27.6% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -2.8% | -2.5% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, LOW or SBUX?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, LOW is the stronger of the two as of Oct 31, 2026, scoring 54 against SBUX's 48. The edge comes from value. SBUX is not without a case — it holds the better momentum profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. 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 LOW or SBUX the better buy right now?
LOW carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 31, 2026, and the comparison is rated Competitive — 4 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Competitive rating means the two are close enough that your objective, not the score, should decide.
Why does the AIQ Score favor LOW over SBUX?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. LOW leads Value by 29 points; SBUX leads Momentum by 11 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, LOW or SBUX?
Analyst price targets imply +18.2% upside for LOW and +13.3% for SBUX, so the Street currently favors LOW. 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, LOW or SBUX?
LOW is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. LOW on the peer-relative Value factor, by 29 points. 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, LOW or SBUX?
SBUX 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, LOW or SBUX?
SBUX on the Momentum factor, by 11 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, LOW or SBUX?
SBUX is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. SBUX carries the lower 1-month annualized volatility. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is LOW more profitable than SBUX?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 33.1% vs 31.7%; operating margin 11.4% vs 9.4%; ttm roe -71.8% vs -24.3%. LOW leads on two measures and SBUX on one measure, 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 LOW's lead over SBUX getting stronger or weaker?
LOW lead: Stable — the AIQ differential has held near 6 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-29 and 2026-10-28. The lead has changed hands 3 times in that window, most recently on 2026-08-26, when SBUX moved ahead of LOW.
What would change the LOW vs SBUX verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: SBUX closes the Value gap — currently 29 points behind, the largest single contributor to LOW's edge; SBUX's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; LOW's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 1 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 LOW and SBUX?
LOW: 1 bullish / 1 bearish, conflicted. SBUX: 3 bullish / 2 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 LOW is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On SBUX it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare LOW and SBUX with others
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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.