VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Casey's General Stores, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Casey's General Stores, Inc.

CASY · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$22B
Gross margin (TTM)23.4%
Operating margin (TTM)5.3%
Net margin (TTM)3.6%
SectorConsumer
IndustrySpecialty Retail
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
54/ 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 Casey's General Stores, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CASY 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: Ulta Beauty, Inc. leads (58 / 100 vs 54 / 100 for Casey's General Stores, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Casey's General Stores, Inc. has 4 segments (61.3% in Fuel); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Casey's General Stores, Inc. has 7 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Casey's General Stores, Inc.

Fuel

Market

Retail motor fuel sold through convenience-store fuel sites (gasoline and diesel)

Geography

United States (Casey's operating footprint; Midwest/South)

Customer

Motorists / consumers (in-store and pay-at-the-pump transactions)

Role

Fuel retailer (with some self-distribution/wholesale capabilities)

Revenue share

61.3%

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

Casey's General Stores, Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CASY - NASDAQ
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$22B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
23.4%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
5.3%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
3.6%
9.9%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Specialty Retail
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Fuel
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
54 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network Density

Casey's General Stores, Inc. strengths

Brand TrustOperational ExcellenceDistribution ControlHabit DefaultSupply Chain ControlScope Economies

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Casey's General Stores, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Prepared Food and Dispensed Beverage

Competitive

10.1%

Grocery and General Merchandise

Competitive

26%

Fuel

Competitive

61.3%

Other (wholesale fuel, car wash, lottery)

Competitive

2.6%

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.