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EL or KR or MNST
Which Stock Would AI Choose? Estée Lauder (EL) vs. Kroger (KR) vs. Monster Beverage (MNST) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- KR leads with strong YTD gains around 21%, driven by robust Q4 earnings and e-commerce growth, outperforming peers in recent market activity.
- MNST shows resilience with 41% one-year returns and solid Q4 sales growth of 17.6%, though facing short-term pullbacks from cost pressures.
- EL lags with a 21% YTD decline amid tariff concerns and travel retail challenges, despite margin improvements and acquisition activity.
- Grocery retailer KR offers defensive stability, while MNST benefits from energy drink momentum; EL appears undervalued at 19% below fair value estimates.
- Recent performances highlight consumer staples' relative strength, with KR and MNST showing better trend consistency than EL.
Introduction
This stock comparison examines EL, KR, and MNST—representing cosmetics, grocery retail, and energy beverages—in the current market environment. These consumer defensive names provide insights into sector dynamics amid economic shifts, tariff risks, and shifting consumer preferences. Traders seeking short-term momentum and investors eyeing long-term stability will find value in analyzing their relative performance, growth drivers, and risk profiles for informed portfolio decisions in a volatile landscape.
EL Overview and Recent Performance
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (EL) is a global leader in prestige beauty, manufacturing and marketing skincare, makeup, fragrance, and hair care under brands like Estée Lauder, Clinique, La Mer, and Jo Malone. In recent market activity, EL shares have faced headwinds, declining about 21% year-to-date due to tariff pressures, travel retail slowdowns, and softer demand in key regions. Q2 fiscal 2026 results showed earnings and revenue beating estimates, with gross margins expanding to 76.5% despite external challenges. Strategic moves like acquiring Forest Essentials bolster India presence, while analysts view the stock as 19.2% undervalued versus a $104 fair value. Sentiment reflects caution on fiscal 2026 outlook but optimism for recovery through margin gains and portfolio optimization.
KR Overview and Recent Performance
The Kroger Co. (KR) operates one of the largest U.S. grocery chains, with nearly 2,800 stores, pharmacies, and fuel centers under various banners, emphasizing fresh foods, e-commerce, and private labels. Recent weeks have seen KR deliver strong momentum, up over 20% year-to-date and 16% over the past year, fueled by Q4 revenue of $34.7 billion (up 2.1%) and adjusted EPS of $1.28 beating forecasts. E-commerce sales rose 20%, with gross margins at 23.1% supported by efficiencies. Analysts highlight undervaluation by 33.8% despite a higher P/E, with new CEO initiatives and price cuts enhancing sentiment. Defensive positioning in essentials drives relative outperformance amid broader market rotations.
MNST Overview and Recent Performance
Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST) develops and markets energy drinks like Monster Energy, Reign, and Bang, alongside alcohol brands, through a network of distributors. In recent trading, MNST has shown mixed signals, with shares down post-Q4 despite net sales up 17.6% and adjusted EPS of $0.51 topping estimates; international sales surged 26.9%. Year-to-date flat but up 42% annually, the stock faces aluminum costs and promotions offsetting margins. Analysts maintain Buy ratings with $100 targets, citing long-term growth in a resilient energy category. Pullbacks are viewed as opportunities amid competitive pressures.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
EL, KR, and MNST span consumer defensive subsectors: prestige beauty, grocery essentials, and non-alcoholic beverages. Business models differ—EL relies on premium branding and global travel retail (vulnerable to tariffs), KR on high-volume staples with pharmacy/fuel diversification, and MNST on high-margin energy drinks via distributors. Growth drivers contrast: KR and MNST post double-digit recent sales gains versus EL’s softer trends. Momentum favors KR (20%+ YTD) over MNST (flat YTD, strong 1Y) and EL (-21% YTD). Risks include input costs for all, but EL faces higher cyclicality; KR offers lowest beta stability. Valuations show EL and KR undervalued relative to growth peers like MNST (P/E ~40). Sentiment tilts positive for staples amid rotations.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors KR for its superior recent momentum, earnings beats, and defensive positioning in essentials, with consistent trends and lower relative risk versus peers. MNST ranks next on international catalysts and category growth, while EL trails due to weaker stability despite undervaluation. Probabilistic edge leans toward KR in prevailing conditions.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full Disclaimers and Limitations.
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
EL’s FA Score shows that 0 FA rating(s) are green whileKR’s FA Score has 2 green FA rating(s), and MNST’s FA Score reflects 1 green FA rating(s).
- EL’s FA Score: 0 green, 5 red.
- KR’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- MNST’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
EL’s TA Score shows that 5 TA indicator(s) are bullish while KR’s TA Score has 5 bullish TA indicator(s), and MNST’s TA Score reflects 4 bullish TA indicator(s).
- EL’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 4 bearish.
- KR’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
- MNST’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
EL (@Household/Personal Care) experienced а +5.14% price change this week, while KR (@Food Retail) price change was -6.03% , and MNST (@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic) price fluctuated +4.63% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Household/Personal Care industry was +2.76%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -0.20%, and the average quarterly price growth was -8.38%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Food Retail industry was +0.67%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.48%, and the average quarterly price growth was +2.76%.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Beverages: Non-Alcoholic industry was +1.66%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was -1.85%, and the average quarterly price growth was +164975.86%.
Reported Earning Dates
EL is expected to report earnings on May 01, 2026.
KR is expected to report earnings on Jun 11, 2026.
MNST is expected to report earnings on Apr 30, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Household/Personal Care (+2.76% weekly)Household/Personal Care companies sell products for home cleaning and/or personal hygiene and grooming purposes. Products of this industry include detergents, shampoos, soaps, cosmetics, fabric conditioners and infant care fragrances. Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Estee Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive are some of the biggest names in the business. A lot of the products become a necessary part of people’s daily routine, and therefore the industry is relatively less vulnerable to macroeconomic downturns. At the same time, product quality, consumer safety, and ease of use are extremely critical factors for a company to survive competition and earn recognition in this industry.
@Food Retail (+0.67% weekly)The food retail industry includes companies that sell food, beverage and household products. Items sold include grocery, gourmet food, fresh produce, and frozen food. Kroger Co., George Weston Ltd., Grocery Outlet Holding Corp., and Sprouts Farmers Markets, Inc. are examples of major food retailers. While e-commerce companies like Amazon have increasingly been ramping-up offerings in the food retail space, several traditional players have also been expanding their online presence to stand their ground against rising competition.
@Beverages: Non-Alcoholic (+1.66% weekly)Non-alcoholic drinks include traces of alcohol or low alcohol content or without alcohol or alcohol removed. Functional Beverages, Carbonated Soft Drinks (CSDs), Sports Drinks, Fruit Beverages, and Bottled Water are some common types of non-alcoholic beverages. The largest segment in this market is soft drinks (think Pepsi and Coke). Many established companies in this space have also been stepping up production of low to zero-calorie varieties in recent years, to cater to a rising number of health-conscious consumers. Coca-Cola Company, Pepsico Inc, Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. and Monster Beverage Corporation are some major non-alcoholic beverage makers.
| EL | KR | MNST | |
| Capitalization | 26.3B | 41.6B | 74B |
| EBITDA | 1.39B | 5.43B | 2.53B |
| Gain YTD | -30.388 | 9.365 | -1.239 |
| P/E Ratio | 147.80 | 44.15 | 39.03 |
| Revenue | 14.7B | 147B | 8.29B |
| Total Cash | 3.08B | 879M | 2.77B |
| Total Debt | 9.39B | 25.2B | 199M |
EL | KR | MNST | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 57 | 56 | 72 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 52 Fair valued | 55 Fair valued | 92 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 100 | 23 | 24 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 90 | 77 | 34 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 64 | 50 | 51 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 36 | 10 | 61 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | n/a | 50 | 75 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
EL's Valuation (52) in the Household Or Personal Care industry is in the same range as KR (55) in the Food Retail industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for MNST (92) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that EL's stock grew similarly to KR’s and somewhat faster than MNST’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Profit vs Risk Rating (23) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as MNST (24) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is significantly better than the same rating for EL (100) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to MNST’s and significantly faster than EL’s over the last 12 months.
MNST's SMR Rating (34) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry is somewhat better than the same rating for KR (77) in the Food Retail industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for EL (90) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that MNST's stock grew somewhat faster than KR’s and somewhat faster than EL’s over the last 12 months.
KR's Price Growth Rating (50) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as MNST (51) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry, and is in the same range as EL (64) in the Household Or Personal Care industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to MNST’s and similarly to EL’s over the last 12 months.
KR's P/E Growth Rating (10) in the Food Retail industry is in the same range as EL (36) in the Household Or Personal Care industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for MNST (61) in the Beverages Non Alcoholic industry. This means that KR's stock grew similarly to EL’s and somewhat faster than MNST’s over the last 12 months.
| EL | KR | MNST | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 62% | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 71% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 67% | 1 day ago 68% | 1 day ago 47% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 62% | 1 day ago 49% | 1 day ago 56% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 54% | 1 day ago 39% | 1 day ago 70% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 47% | 1 day ago 58% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 75% | 1 day ago 53% | 1 day ago 48% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 63% | 6 days ago 57% | 3 days ago 58% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 10 days ago 74% | 1 day ago 47% | 13 days ago 46% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 72% | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 49% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 72% | 1 day ago 58% | 1 day ago 58% |
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KR and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, KR has been loosely correlated with ACI. These tickers have moved in lockstep 56% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if KR jumps, then ACI could also see price increases.
MNST and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, MNST has been loosely correlated with CCEP. These tickers have moved in lockstep 51% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is some statistical probability that if MNST jumps, then CCEP could also see price increases.
| Ticker / NAME | Correlation To MNST | 1D Price Change % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MNST | 100% | -0.62% | ||
| CCEP - MNST | 51% Loosely correlated | -0.49% | ||
| KO - MNST | 43% Loosely correlated | -0.91% | ||
| PEP - MNST | 42% Loosely correlated | -0.27% | ||
| CELH - MNST | 39% Loosely correlated | -4.18% | ||
| KDP - MNST | 35% Loosely correlated | +0.57% | ||
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