VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Baidu, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Baidu, Inc.

9888 · The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited

Market cap (USD)$372.8B
Gross margin (TTM)44.7%
Operating margin (TTM)-2.6%
Net margin (TTM)6.9%
SectorTechnology
IndustryInternet Content & Information
CountryCN
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
71/ 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 Baidu, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View 9888 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: Baidu, Inc. leads (71 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Baidu, Inc. has 4 segments (54.5% in Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Baidu, Inc. has 10 moat types across 4 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Baidu, Inc.

Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)

Market

Chinese-language search and feed-based online marketing services

Geography

Mainland China

Customer

Advertisers (SMEs and larger enterprises) buying performance-based and feed ads

Role

Search + feed platform operator / ad marketplace

Revenue share

54.5%

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

Baidu, Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
9888 - The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$372.8B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
44.7%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
-2.6%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
6.9%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Internet Content & Information
Specialty Retail
HQ country
CN
US
Primary segment
Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Competitive
Market share
62%-66% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
71 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Data Network Effects

Baidu, Inc. strengths

Habit DefaultBrand TrustEcosystem ComplementsCapex Knowhow ScaleData Workflow LockinLearning Curve YieldRegulated Standards PipeContent Rights CurrencyScale Economies Unit Cost

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Baidu, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Online Marketing (Search & Feed Ads)

Quasi-Monopoly

54.5%

AI Cloud (IaaS/PaaS/SaaS + GenAI APIs)

Oligopoly

16.3%

Intelligent Driving & Other Growth Initiatives

Oligopoly

7.4%

iQIYI (Online Entertainment)

Oligopoly

21.8%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.