VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

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Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

HOYA Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

HOYA Corporation

7741 · Tokyo Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$8.5T
Gross margin (TTM)80.1%
Operating margin (TTM)29.5%
Net margin (TTM)23.5%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Instruments & Supplies
CountryJP
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
72/ 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 HOYA Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 7741 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: HOYA Corporation leads (72 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: HOYA Corporation has 5 segments (48.2% in Eye Health Domain (healthcare-related products)); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: HOYA Corporation has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

HOYA Corporation

Eye Health Domain (healthcare-related products)

Market

Ophthalmic products (eyeglass lenses, contact lens retail, intraocular lenses)

Geography

Global (eyeglass lenses & IOL); Japan (contact lens retail)

Customer

Optical retailers, consumers, hospitals/clinics

Role

Manufacturer and retailer

Revenue share

48.2%

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

HOYA Corporation
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
7741 - Tokyo Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$8.5T
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
80.1%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
29.5%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
23.5%
9.9%
Sector
Healthcare
Consumer
Industry
Medical - Instruments & Supplies
Specialty Retail
HQ country
JP
US
Primary segment
Eye Health Domain (healthcare-related products)
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network Density

HOYA Corporation strengths

Brand TrustCompliance AdvantageReputation ReviewsDesign In QualificationLearning Curve YieldNiche speech synthesis portfolio

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

HOYA Corporation segments

Full profile >

Eye Health Domain (healthcare-related products)

Oligopoly

48.2%

Med-Tech Domain (medical-related products)

Oligopoly

15.4%

Electronics-related products (semiconductor/display photomask materials, HDD substrates)

Oligopoly

30.6%

Imaging-related products (optical lenses and optical materials)

Competitive

5.3%

Other (speech synthesis software)

Competitive

0.5%

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.

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

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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.