CELH vs SFM: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
CELH and SFM are similarly sized, but SFM trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (10.95x vs 16.53x): the market is paying up for CELH's profile and pricing SFM more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.
CELH vs SFM: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of October 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | CELH | SFM | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $7.13B | $6.08B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 16.53 | 10.95 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 122.57 | 12.47 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 1.00 | 0.67 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 11% of range | 6% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 5.95 | 4.17 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: SFM is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how CELH and SFM affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. CELH and SFM share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined CELH and SFM exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Celsius Holdings (CELH) do?
Celsius Holdings is a Boca Raton, Florida consumer packaged goods company that makes functional energy drinks marketed around fitness, metabolism, and zero-sugar formulations. Its flagship CELSIUS brand is sold through grocery, club, convenience, and fitness channels, and the company makes money by selling cases of ready-to-drink beverages, increasingly through PepsiCo's distribution network. In Q2 2026 the broader portfolio held roughly a 20.1% dollar share of the U.S. ready-to-drink energy category (down from about 20.9% in Q1), placing it behind Monster and Red Bull but well ahead of most other challengers.
What does Sprouts Farmers Market (SFM) do?
Sprouts Farmers Market (Nasdaq: SFM) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based specialty grocery retailer focused entirely on fresh, natural, and organic food. The company operates a distinctive smaller-store format where fresh produce occupies the center of the store, surrounded by a curated selection of lifestyle-friendly products including organic, plant-based, keto, paleo, non-GMO, and gluten-free items. Beyond fresh produce, Sprouts carries vitamins and supplements (a high-margin category that sets it apart from conventional grocers), bulk items, dairy alternatives, seafood, deli, and bakery. Revenue is generated almost entirely through retail food sales, with margins supported by a growing private-label program (where the company has moved away from commodity products toward differentiated innovation), supplier promotions, and a self-distribution network that began expanding in May 2025 and is already improving gross margins by cutting third-party logistics costs. E-commerce (via partnerships with Instacart and DoorDash) accounts for approximately 15% of sales and mirrors in-store basket composition, reinforcing the health-focused brand positioning.
CELH vs SFM: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- CELH drivers: Multi-brand portfolio and category leadership; PepsiCo distribution and the category-captain role.
- SFM drivers: White-space store expansion; Self-distribution as a structural margin driver.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The flagship CELSIUS brand slowed to roughly 6% growth in Q1 2026 and then shrank about 11.7% year over year in Q2 2026, so the portfolio's growth now rests on Alani Nu and Rockstar, and total revenue growth fell to about 10.6% once those brands entered the prior-year base. For SFM, the most immediate risk is sales deceleration: comparable-store growth slipped in the final quarter of fiscal 2025, and revenue growth slowed to about 5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, as even Sprouts' relatively affluent target consumers became more price-sensitive than management anticipated.
CELH or SFM: which should you pick?
CELH vs SFM: the full fundamentals
CELH. Reported figures are drawn from Celsius Holdings' Q2 2026 results and market data as of October 16, 2026. Trailing GAAP earnings are depressed by acquisition-related charges, so the trailing P/E near 125 times says little; on forward estimates the stock trades near 17 times earnings and about 2.4 times sales. Shares near $29 sit about 40% below where they started 2026 and well below the 52-week high of $66, a valuation that now reflects doubts about the core brand rather than the growth premium it once carried.
SFM. Sprouts now trades near 12.6 times trailing and 11 times forward earnings, down from roughly 15x forward earlier in 2026 and about 33x at the end of 2024, as growth has slowed from double digits to mid-single digits. The consensus fiscal 2026 view of about $9.48 billion of revenue and $5.53 of EPS (roughly 4% EPS growth) implies analysts expect the business to keep growing, but at a much more moderate pace, so the multiple no longer prices in the exceptional growth rates of 2023 through 2025.
Headline figures (approximate, October 2026): CELH shows revenue (ttm) ~$3.05 billion, revenue (q2 2026) ~$817.9 million, up ~10.6% YoY, celsius brand revenue (q2 2026) Down ~11.7% YoY, gross margin (q2 2026) ~48.1% (down ~340 bps); SFM shows revenue (ttm) ~$9.0 billion (Q2 2026 up ~5% YoY), revenue (fy2025) ~$8.81 billion, up ~14%, gross / operating margin (ttm) ~39% / ~7.5%, net income (ttm) ~$503 million (~5.6% margin).
The bottom line: CELH vs SFM
CELH and SFM are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined CELH and SFM exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Wondering how CELH or SFM fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in Celsius Holdings with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how CELH fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between CELH and SFM?
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Celsius Holdings is a Boca Raton, Florida consumer packaged goods company that makes functional energy drinks marketed around fitness, metabolism, and zero-sugar formulations. Sprouts Farmers Market (Nasdaq: SFM) is a Phoenix, Arizona-based specialty grocery retailer focused entirely on fresh, natural, and organic food. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is CELH or SFM the better stock?
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Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, CELH or SFM?
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On forward P/E (as of October 2026), CELH trades at 16.53x and SFM at 10.95x, so SFM is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both CELH and SFM?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of CELH vs SFM?
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CELH: The flagship CELSIUS brand slowed to roughly 6% growth in Q1 2026 and then shrank about 11.7% year over year in Q2 2026, so the portfolio's growth now rests on Alani Nu and Rockstar, and total revenue growth fell to about 10.6% once those brands entered the prior-year base. Those acquisitions carry lower margins, and gross margin fell about 340 basis points to roughly 48.1% in Q2 on heavier promotion and channel mix, diluting profitability; Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.36 missed the roughly $0.42 estimate and the stock fell about 18% on the report. Consensus expects third quarter EPS about 20% below the prior year, and some analysts have cut targets (UBS lowered its target to $38 from $44 in October 2026). Celsius remains concentrated in a single category dominated by Monster and Red Bull, which together hold the large majority of the U.S. and global markets and have far deeper resources. Leadership turnover in the commercial organization, heavy reliance on PepsiCo for distribution and a portfolio dollar share that slipped from about 20.9% to 20.1% between Q1 and Q2 add to the risk if growth stalls or competition intensifies. SFM: The most immediate risk is sales deceleration: comparable-store growth slipped in the final quarter of fiscal 2025, and revenue growth slowed to about 5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, as even Sprouts' relatively affluent target consumers became more price-sensitive than management anticipated. Analysts expect EPS growth of only about 4% for fiscal 2026 and about 7% for 2027, far below the 40%-plus pace of 2025. Conventional grocers (Kroger, Walmart) and tech-enabled rivals (Amazon-owned Whole Foods) are aggressively expanding their own natural and organic assortments, compressing the niche that Sprouts occupies. Aggressive new store openings risk overextending operational resources in unfamiliar markets, while supply chain disruptions, rising labor costs, and tariff-driven input cost inflation could all pressure margins. Leadership turnover is a smaller watch item after the October 2026 departure of the company's first chief technology officer, given the loyalty, personalization and e-commerce work tied to technology. Finally, the stock was down about 41% over the year to October 16, 2026, a significant reset in growth expectations, and any further miss on comparable-store sales or earnings could extend that pressure.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell CELH or SFM; figures are approximate and dated (as of October 2026). Verify current data before investing.