VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

2330 · Taiwan Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$43.6T
Gross margin (TTM)59%
Operating margin (TTM)49.5%
Net margin (TTM)43.7%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySemiconductors
CountryTW
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
92/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 2330 analysis

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

ULTA · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)13.2%
Net margin (TTM)9.9%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
58/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ULTA analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited leads (92 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has 3 segments (74% in Leading-edge Foundry (7nm and below)); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited

Leading-edge Foundry (7nm and below)

Market

Leading-edge semiconductor foundry services (<=7nm logic process technologies)

Geography

Global

Customer

Fabless semiconductor companies, system companies, and IDMs

Role

Dedicated foundry / contract manufacturer

Revenue share

74%

Ulta Beauty, Inc.

Beauty Products Retail

Market

U.S. beauty products retail (specialty omnichannel beauty retailer)

Geography

United States

Customer

Consumers (end-users) shopping in-store and online

Role

Specialty retailer / distributor

Revenue share

94%

Side-by-side metrics

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
2330 - Taiwan Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$43.6T
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
59%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
49.5%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
43.7%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Semiconductors
Specialty Retail
HQ country
TW
US
Primary segment
Leading-edge Foundry (7nm and below)
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Competitive
Market share
70%-72% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
5,165
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
92 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Network, Demand, Financial
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleEcosystem ComplementsDesign In QualificationBenchmark Pricing PowerScope EconomiesOperational ExcellenceKeystone Component

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited segments

Full profile >

Leading-edge Foundry (7nm and below)

Quasi-Monopoly

74%

Mature & Specialty Foundry (16nm and above + specialty processes)

Oligopoly

26%

Advanced Packaging & 3DFabric (CoWoS, InFO, SoIC)

Oligopoly

n/a

Ulta Beauty, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Beauty Products Retail

Competitive

94%

Beauty Services

Competitive

4%

Platform Monetization (Retail Media, Credit Cards, Partner Royalties, Deferred Revenue)

Competitive

2%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.