LESL vs. SLM

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

LESL (Leslie's, Inc.) and SLM (SLM Corporation) are both stocks. LESL operates in Home Improvement Retail (Consumer Cyclical), while SLM operates in Credit Services (Financial Services). Over the past 5 years, LESL returned -62.07%/yr vs 3.86%/yr for SLM. At a 0.29 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

LESL vs. SLM - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) and SLM Corporation (SLM). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, LESL achieves a 183.03% return, which is significantly higher than SLM's -19.57% return.

LESL

• 1D: 18.23%
• 1M: 199.36%
• YTD: 183.03%
• 6M: 65.02%
• 1Y: -70.64%
• 3Y*: -71.66%
• 5Y*: -62.07%
• 10Y*: —

SLM

• 1D: -1.95%
• 1M: -3.95%
• YTD: -19.57%
• 6M: -27.38%
• 1Y: -32.54%
• 3Y*: 12.18%
• 5Y*: 3.86%
• 10Y*: 13.40%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

LESL vs. SLM - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020
LESL Leslie's, Inc.	183.03%	-96.30%	-67.73%	-43.41%	-48.39%	-14.74%	27.88%
SLM SLM Corporation	-19.57%	-0.20%	47.25%	18.70%	-13.47%	60.54%	33.01%

Correlation

The correlation between LESL and SLM is 0.20, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.20
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.28
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.32
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Oct 30, 2020	0.29

The correlation between LESL and SLM shifts across timeframes, from 0.20 (1 year) to 0.32 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap LESL : $43.56M SLM : $4.28B
EPS LESL : -$29.76 SLM : $3.63
PS Ratio LESL : 0.04 SLM : 1.98
Total Revenue (TTM) LESL : $1.22B SLM : $2.25B
Gross Profit (TTM) LESL : $428.40M SLM : $1.09B
EBITDA (TTM) LESL : -$176.53M SLM : $599.19M

Return for Risk

LESL vs. SLM — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

LESL

LESL Risk / Return Rank: 25
LESL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 25
LESL Sortino Ratio Rank: 32
LESL Omega Ratio Rank: 32
LESL Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
LESL Martin Ratio Rank: 22

SLM

SLM Risk / Return Rank: 10
SLM Sharpe Ratio Rank: 7
SLM Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
SLM Omega Ratio Rank: 9
SLM Calmar Ratio Rank: 14
SLM Martin Ratio Rank: 10

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

LESL vs. SLM - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) and SLM Corporation (SLM). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	LESL	SLM	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.37	-0.88	+0.51
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.12	-1.04	+1.16
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.01	0.85	+0.17
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.75	-0.72	-0.03
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.93	-1.34	+0.41
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

LESL vs. SLM - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current LESL Sharpe Ratio is -0.37, which is higher than the SLM Sharpe Ratio of -0.88. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of LESL and SLM, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	LESL	SLM	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.37	-0.88	+0.51
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.58	0.11	-0.69
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.36	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.54	0.24	-0.78

Drawdowns

LESL vs. SLM - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum LESL drawdown since its inception was -99.85%, which is greater than SLM's maximum drawdown of -94.50%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for LESL and SLM.

Drawdown Indicators

	LESL	SLM	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-99.85%	-94.50%	-5.35%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-94.21%	-45.06%	-49.15%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-99.58%	-45.06%	-54.52%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-99.85%	-45.06%	-54.79%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-51.79%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-99.25%	-36.19%	-63.06%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-65.39%	-29.89%	-35.50%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	76.14%	24.28%	+51.86%

Volatility

LESL vs. SLM - Volatility Comparison

Leslie's, Inc. (LESL) has a higher volatility of 98.93% compared to SLM Corporation (SLM) at 7.55%. This indicates that LESL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SLM based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	LESL	SLM	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	98.93%	7.55%	+91.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	129.18%	32.13%	+97.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	190.67%	36.99%	+153.68%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	106.69%	35.79%	+70.90%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	102.46%	36.87%	+65.59%

Dividends

LESL vs. SLM - Dividend Comparison

LESL has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SLM's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.41%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019
LESL Leslie's, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
SLM SLM Corporation	2.41%	1.92%	1.67%	2.30%	2.65%	1.02%	0.97%	1.35%

Financials

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both LESL and SLM in my portfolio?

LESL and SLM have a correlation of 0.20, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, LESL or SLM?

LESL has higher volatility (98.93%) compared to SLM (7.55%). In terms of maximum drawdown, LESL dropped -99.85% vs SLM's -94.50%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

LESL currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (-0.37 vs -0.88), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.