VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

BAE Systems plc vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

BAE Systems plc

BA. · London Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$59.9B
Gross margin (TTM)8.6%
Operating margin (TTM)9.3%
Net margin (TTM)7.4%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryAerospace & Defense
CountryGB
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
75/ 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 BAE Systems plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BA. 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: BAE Systems plc leads (75 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: BAE Systems plc has 5 segments (26.6% in Electronic Systems); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: BAE Systems plc has 8 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

BAE Systems plc

Electronic Systems

Market

Defence electronics (electronic warfare, avionics, C4ISR, space payloads and mission systems)

Geography

Primarily US and UK; global programmes

Customer

Government defence and intelligence agencies; prime contractors

Role

Subsystem OEM and prime contractor for electronics/mission systems

Revenue share

26.6%

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

BAE Systems plc
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BA. - London Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$59.9B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
8.6%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
9.3%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
7.4%
9.9%
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Aerospace & Defense
Specialty Retail
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Electronic Systems
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
75 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-28
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

BAE Systems plc strengths

Government Contracting RelationshipsDesign In QualificationCompliance AdvantageService Field NetworkLong Term ContractsCapex Knowhow ScaleCapacity Moat

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

BAE Systems plc segments

Full profile >

Electronic Systems

Oligopoly

26.6%

Platforms & Services

Oligopoly

16.3%

Air

Oligopoly

26%

Maritime

Oligopoly

22.5%

Cyber & Intelligence

Competitive

8.6%

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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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.