ULTA (Ulta Beauty Inc) vs S&P 500 Comparison

ULTA

S&P 500

Compare the stock's returns with its benchmark index and competitors. Gain insights into its relative performance over time.

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ULTA

S&P 500

Difference

1Y 3Y 5Y 10Y 15Y 20Y

ULTA

S&P 500

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Compare the stock's returns with its benchmark index and competitors. Gain insights into its relative performance over time.

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S&P 500

ULTA

TSCO

DKS

601888

9992

Add Stock

1Y 3Y 5Y 10Y 15Y 20Y

Compare the stock's returns with its benchmark index and competitors. Gain insights into its relative performance over time.

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Ulta Beauty Inc
Glance View

Economic Moat

None

Market Cap

19.5B USD

Industry

Retail

Ulta Beauty Inc., a renowned entity in the beauty retail sphere, has effectively carved out a substantial niche by offering an extensive assortment of beauty products alongside salon services under one roof. Established in 1990, the company has grown from a single store to a formidable presence across the United States, seamlessly blending the allure of prestige cosmetics with the affordability of drugstore brands. This unique model allows it to capture a broad customer base, catering to diverse beauty preferences and budgets. The strategic layout of Ulta's stores—often situated in suburban shopping centers—facilitates an accessible and enjoyable shopping experience. The company positions itself as a one-stop destination, featuring thousands of products across beauty categories such as skincare, makeup, fragrance, and haircare. Revenue for Ulta Beauty is primarily generated from product sales, both in-store and through a robust e-commerce platform that capitalizes on the increasing shift toward online shopping. Additionally, their brick-and-mortar stores house full-service salons, enhancing customer engagement through personalized beauty services that boost foot traffic and customer loyalty. Ulta's rewards program, Ultamate Rewards, plays a pivotal role in driving repeat purchases and brand allegiance, offering customers points for purchases that translate into discounts. Moreover, strategic partnerships with emerging and established beauty brands keep Ulta's offerings fresh and relevant, ensuring continuous consumer interest and a competitive edge in the dynamic beauty market. Through these multifaceted business strategies, Ulta Beauty adeptly sustains and expands its revenue streams, fortifying its stature in the retail industry.

View ULTA Analysis

ULTA Intrinsic Value

What is Intrinsic Value?

Economic Moat is a concept popularized by Warren Buffett to describe a company's durable competitive advantage. It represents the 'moat' that protects a company from competitors and helps it sustain profitability over the long term. Our analysis of the past 10 years showed that companies with a wide economic moat significantly outperformed the market, delivering +645% returns compared to +189% for the S&P 500.

Our research into Economic Moat performance spans the past 10 years and focuses on companies with a wide economic moat. For this analysis, we calculated the average stock price returns of these companies, comparing them to the performance of the S&P 500 index over the same period.

The results were compelling: wide moat stocks achieved a remarkable +645% average return, compared to +188% for the broader market. This difference highlights the long-term benefits of investing in businesses that can maintain their market position and pricing power over time.

Note: This research does not account for survivorship bias. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Determining whether a company has an economic moat requires both a deep dive into financial metrics and a qualitative assessment of its competitive position. Our analysts conduct a rigorous evaluation that focuses on identifying structural advantages that enable a company to sustain profitability and defend its market share over the long term.

The process begins with an analysis of a company’s historical financial performance. We assess how consistently the company has generated returns above its cost of capital and whether those returns have been stable or improving. However, financial performance alone doesn’t reveal the full picture. To understand the sources of these advantages, we evaluate five key drivers of economic moats:

Network Effect: We analyze whether the value of a company’s product or service grows as its user base expands. Platforms like payment systems or marketplaces benefit from this self-reinforcing.

Switching Costs: We assess whether customers face significant costs or disruptions when switching to a competitor’s product or service. High switching costs create customer stickiness and provide pricing power.

Intangible Assets: Strong brands, patents, and regulatory licenses can protect a company’s market position by creating barriers for competitors or enabling premium pricing. For example, a well-recognized consumer brand may command higher customer loyalty and margins.

Efficient scale: Occurs when a market is optimally served by one or a few players, making it unprofitable for new entrants to compete. This typically happens in industries with high fixed costs or geographic constraints, such as utilities or pipelines.

Cost Advantage: Companies with structural cost advantages can produce goods or services at a lower cost than their competitors, enabling them to offer competitive pricing or maintain higher margins. These advantages often arise from economies of scale, superior supply chain management, or proprietary technology. Firms like Walmart leverage their massive scale to negotiate better terms with suppliers, allowing them to undercut competitors on price.

By examining these factors in combination with a company’s financial performance and market positioning, we classify each company into one of three categories:

This rigorous evaluation ensures that our moat ratings are both comprehensive and reliable, giving investors the tools they need to make well-informed, long-term decisions.

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CN		China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp Ltd SSE:601888	Select
CN		Pop Mart International Group Ltd HKEX:9992	Select
HK		Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd HKEX:1929	Select
NL	G	Grandvision NV F:8GV	Select
JP		Sanrio Co Ltd TSE:8136	Select
US		Bath & Body Works Inc NYSE:BBWI	Select
UK		JD Sports Fashion PLC LSE:JD	Select
US		Five Below Inc NASDAQ:FIVE	Select

US		Tractor Supply Co NASDAQ:TSCO	Add
US		DICK'S Sporting Goods Inc NYSE:DKS	Add
CN		China Tourism Group Duty Free Corp Ltd SSE:601888	Add
CN		Pop Mart International Group Ltd HKEX:9992	Add
HK		Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd HKEX:1929	Add
NL	G	Grandvision NV F:8GV	Add
JP		Sanrio Co Ltd TSE:8136	Add
US		Bath & Body Works Inc NYSE:BBWI	Add
UK		JD Sports Fashion PLC LSE:JD	Add
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ULTA

vs

S&P 500

Stocks Performance
ULTA vs S&P 500

Performance Gap
ULTA vs S&P 500

Performance By Year
ULTA vs S&P 500

Competitors Performance
Ulta Beauty Inc vs Peers

Ulta Beauty Inc
Glance View

Company

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ULTA vs S&P 500

Stocks Performance ULTA vs S&P 500

Performance Gap ULTA vs S&P 500

Performance By Year ULTA vs S&P 500

Competitors Performance Ulta Beauty Inc vs Peers

Ulta Beauty Inc Glance View

Company

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Stocks

ULTA

vs

S&P 500

Stocks Performance
ULTA vs S&P 500

Performance Gap
ULTA vs S&P 500

Performance By Year
ULTA vs S&P 500

Competitors Performance
Ulta Beauty Inc vs Peers

Ulta Beauty Inc
Glance View