VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Boston Scientific Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Boston Scientific Corporation

BSX · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$144.7B
Gross margin (TTM)65.1%
Operating margin (TTM)17.3%
Net margin (TTM)14.4%
SectorHealthcare
IndustryMedical - Devices
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-04
Moat score
65/ 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 Boston Scientific Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View BSX 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: Boston Scientific Corporation leads (65 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Boston Scientific Corporation has 5 segments (49.8% in Cardiology); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Boston Scientific Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Boston Scientific Corporation

Cardiology

Market

Cardiology devices (interventional cardiology, structural heart, electrophysiology, cardiac rhythm management and remote monitoring)

Geography

Global

Customer

Hospitals/cath labs/EP labs and specialty clinics (cardiologists, electrophysiologists)

Role

Medical device OEM / implantables + procedure devices + service-enabled monitoring

Revenue share

49.8%

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

Boston Scientific Corporation
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
BSX - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$144.7B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
65.1%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
17.3%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
14.4%
9.9%
Sector
Healthcare
Consumer
Industry
Medical - Devices
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Cardiology
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
65 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Legal, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-04
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Boston Scientific Corporation strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesProcurement InertiaTraining Org Change CostsRegulated Standards PipeReputation ReviewsDistribution Control

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Boston Scientific Corporation segments

Full profile >

Endoscopy

Oligopoly

16%

Urology

Competitive

13.1%

Neuromodulation

Oligopoly

6.6%

Cardiology

Oligopoly

49.8%

Peripheral Interventions

Competitive

14.4%

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.