a.k.a. Brands (NYSE:AKA – Get Free Report) and Leslie’s (NASDAQ:LESL – Get Free Report) are both small-cap consumer discretionary companies, but which is the superior investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their earnings, risk, dividends, analyst recommendations, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.
Analyst Recommendations
This is a breakdown of current ratings and target prices for a.k.a. Brands and Leslie’s, as reported by MarketBeat.com.
| Sell Ratings | Hold Ratings | Buy Ratings | Strong Buy Ratings | Rating Score | |
| a.k.a. Brands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.50 |
| Leslie’s | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1.86 |
Leslie’s has a consensus target price of $2.85, indicating a potential upside of 2,694.12%. Given Leslie’s’ stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Leslie’s is more favorable than a.k.a. Brands.
Institutional and Insider Ownership
55.3% of a.k.a. Brands shares are held by institutional investors. 18.2% of a.k.a. Brands shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 0.5% of Leslie’s shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, endowments and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.
Volatility & Risk
a.k.a. Brands has a beta of 1.33, meaning that its share price is 33% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Leslie’s has a beta of 1.76, meaning that its share price is 76% more volatile than the S&P 500.
Valuation and Earnings
This table compares a.k.a. Brands and Leslie’s”s revenue, earnings per share and valuation.
| Gross Revenue | Price/Sales Ratio | Net Income | Earnings Per Share | Price/Earnings Ratio | |
| a.k.a. Brands | $600.21 million | 0.18 | -$31.43 million | ($2.72) | -3.71 |
| Leslie’s | $1.18 billion | 0.00 | -$236.97 million | ($27.08) | -0.00 |
a.k.a. Brands has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Leslie’s. a.k.a. Brands is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Leslie’s, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.
Profitability
This table compares a.k.a. Brands and Leslie’s’ net margins, return on equity and return on assets.
| Net Margins | Return on Equity | Return on Assets | |
| a.k.a. Brands | -4.78% | -24.58% | -5.89% |
| Leslie’s | -21.24% | N/A | -8.96% |
About a.k.a. Brands
a.k.a. Brands Holding Corp. operates a portfolio of online fashion brands in the United States, Australia, and internationally. The company offers streetwear apparel, dresses, tops, bottoms, shoes, headwear, and accessories through its online stores under the Princess Polly, Petal & Pup, Culture Kings, and mnml brands. It also operates physical stores under the Culture Kings brand. The company was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
About Leslie’s
Leslie’s, Inc. operates as a direct-to-consumer pool and spa care brand in the United States. The company markets and sells pool and spa supplies and related products and services. It also offers various pool and spa maintenance items, such as chemicals, equipment and parts, cleaning and maintenance equipment, safety, recreational, and fitness related products. In addition, the company provides installation and repair services for pool and spa equipment. It also sells its products through e-commerce websites and third-party marketplaces. The company offers complimentary, commercial-grade in-store, water testing, and analysis services. It serves the residential, professional, and commercial consumers. Leslie’s, Inc. was founded in 1963 and is based in Phoenix, Arizona.
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