VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ambev S.A. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Ambev S.A.

ABEV3 · B3 - Brasil Bolsa Balcao

Market cap (USD)$217.4B
Gross margin (TTM)51.8%
Operating margin (TTM)26.5%
Net margin (TTM)17.7%
SectorConsumer
IndustryBeverages - Alcoholic
CountryBR
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
82/ 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 Ambev S.A.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ABEV3 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: Ambev S.A. leads (82 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ambev S.A. has 5 segments (45% in Brazil - Beer); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Ambev S.A. has 3 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Ambev S.A.

Brazil - Beer

Market

Beer production and distribution

Geography

Brazil

Customer

On-trade and off-trade retailers; distributors

Role

Producer & distributor

Revenue share

45%

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

Ambev S.A.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ABEV3 - B3 - Brasil Bolsa Balcao
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$217.4B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
51.8%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
26.5%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
17.7%
9.9%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Beverages - Alcoholic
Specialty Retail
HQ country
BR
US
Primary segment
Brazil - Beer
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
55%-65% (estimated)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
82 / 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

Contractual Exclusivity

Ambev S.A. strengths

Brand TrustDistribution Control

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Ambev S.A. segments

Full profile >

Brazil - Beer

Oligopoly

45%

Brazil - Non-alcoholic beverages

Oligopoly

9.4%

Central America and the Caribbean

Oligopoly

12.3%

Latin America South

Oligopoly

22.2%

Canada

Oligopoly

11.2%

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?

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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.