VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Accenture plc vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Accenture plc

ACN · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$174.9B
Gross margin (TTM)31.9%
Operating margin (TTM)14.8%
Net margin (TTM)10.8%
SectorTechnology
IndustryInformation Technology Services
CountryIE
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
66/ 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 Accenture plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View ACN 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: Accenture plc leads (66 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Accenture plc has 2 segments (50.4% in Consulting); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: n/a vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Accenture plc has 7 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Accenture plc

Consulting

Market

Enterprise consulting (strategy, management, technology consulting and technology integration consulting)

Geography

Global

Customer

Enterprises and public sector organizations

Role

Advisor and systems integrator / implementation partner

Revenue share

50.4%

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

Accenture plc
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ACN - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$174.9B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
31.9%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
14.8%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
10.8%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Information Technology Services
Specialty Retail
HQ country
IE
US
Primary segment
Consulting
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
n/a
Moderate
Moat score
66 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Network
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Suite BundlingSwitching Costs General

Accenture plc strengths

Brand TrustProcurement InertiaService Field NetworkLong Term ContractsEcosystem Complements

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Accenture plc segments

Full profile >

Consulting

Competitive

50.4%

Managed Services

Oligopoly

49.6%

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.