Episode Details
Back to EpisodesELF Stock: HOLD Call - Down 65% On Growth Reset Q4 FY2026
Published 1 month, 1 week ago
Description
e.l.f. Beauty Q1 2026 earnings breakdown - conversational walkthrough with a price-aware verdict and Wall Street consensus comparison.
THE CALL: HOLD (3/5 conviction, MODERATE)
- CURRENT @ $51.75 - same
- BUY below $45.00 with $38.00 stop
- AVOID above $72.00
TRIGGER: Naturium international rollout hits stated targets and skincare mix climbs toward 25% of revenue.
WINDOW: 12 to 18 months.
TRACKER: charged-alpha.com/calls/ELF
WALL STREET CONSENSUS
- Ratings: 0 Strong Buy / 0 Buy / 0 Hold / 0 Sell / 0 Strong Sell - HOLD
- Median 12-month price target: $78.00 (range $48 - $130)
- Charged Alpha vs consensus: Charged Alpha call is broadly in line with consensus.
THESIS
ELF is the share-gainer in mass-market beauty with a still-rising skincare mix and an international runway, now available at one third the multiple it carried at the peak.
Bull lever: Naturium scales internationally while core e.l.f. holds its US shelf share, lifting blended growth back into the 20s and re-rating the multiple toward 4x EV/sales.
Key risk: Goodwill and intangibles are 59% of assets after the Naturium deal. A second impairment quarter would shake confidence in the deal math and force a real reset in estimates.
QUALITY CHECK
- Management quality grade: A (Tarang Amin has led ELF since 2014 and built one of the most successful share-gain stories in consumer staples. The team has delivered on Project Unicorn productivity, navigated DTC and Target channel growth, and made one of the few accretive beauty acquisitions of the cycle with Naturium.)
- Earnings quality grade: B (Quality is mixed this quarter. Cash conversion remains excellent and SBC is low for the category, but the gap between GAAP and adjusted EPS is wide because of a one-time impairment-style charge tied to Naturium. Goodwill and intangibles now dominate the balance sheet.)
CHAPTERS
0:00 Hook
0:21 The Print
1:20 The Trend
2:22 The Segments
3:05 The FCF Bridge
3:54 Guidance & The Narrative Diff
5:00 Peer Dot-Plot
5:47 Management & Earnings Quality
7:14 S8_Call
KEY METRICS - Q4 FY2026
- Revenue: $449M (+35.1% YoY, +4.0% vs est)
- Adj EPS: $0.78 (vs consensus, +8.3% beat)
- GAAP EPS: -$0.84 (Naturium goodwill impairment)
- Gross margin: 72.7%
- Operating margin: 1.6% GAAP (adj ~14%)
- FCF margin: 22.4%
- FY27 guide: +13-19% (vs FY26 +28%)
- Net debt: $620M (4.7x EBITDA)
SEGMENT HIGHLIGHTS
- e.l.f. cosmetics: US #1 mass brand, gaining shelf
- Naturium skincare: international rollout started
- International: early stage, high-potential
GUIDANCE
- FY27 rev guide +13-19%; growth reset to sustainable pace
- Naturium international targets reaffirmed
DATA SOURCES
- FMP (financialmodelingprep.com)
- e.l.f. Beauty Q4 FY2026 Earnings Release (2026-05-20)
DISCLAIMER
This is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Not financial advice. Charged Alpha does not have a position in ELF. Do your own research before any investment decision.
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