VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

AJG · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$67.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorFinancials
IndustryInsurance - Brokers
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-09
Moat score
69/ 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 Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View AJG 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: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. leads (69 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has 2 segments (86% in Brokerage); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Brokerage

Market

Insurance and reinsurance brokerage and consulting

Geography

Global

Customer

Commercial, industrial, public sector, nonprofit and other organizations; underwriting enterprises for reinsurance placements

Role

Intermediary / broker / advisor

Revenue share

86%

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

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
AJG - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$67.9B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
9.9%
Sector
Financials
Consumer
Industry
Insurance - Brokers
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Brokerage
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
69 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-09
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. strengths

Service Field NetworkBrand TrustData Workflow LockinOperational Excellence

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. segments

Full profile >

Brokerage

Oligopoly

86%

Risk Management

Competitive

14%

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.