VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Colgate-Palmolive Company vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Colgate-Palmolive Company

CL · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$65.7B
Gross margin (TTM)60.2%
Operating margin (TTM)21.7%
Net margin (TTM)14.5%
SectorConsumer
IndustryHousehold & Personal Products
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
74/ 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 Colgate-Palmolive Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CL 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: Colgate-Palmolive Company leads (74 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Colgate-Palmolive Company has 4 segments (43% in Oral Care); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Colgate-Palmolive Company has 2 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Colgate-Palmolive Company

Oral Care

Market

Oral care products (toothpaste, manual toothbrushes, mouthwash)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers; also dentists and oral health professionals (pharma dental products)

Role

Branded consumer products manufacturer

Revenue share

43%

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

Colgate-Palmolive Company
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CL - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$65.7B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
60.2%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
21.7%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
14.5%
9.9%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Household & Personal Products
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Oral Care
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
41.4% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
74 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

Colgate-Palmolive Company strengths

Brand TrustDistribution Control

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Colgate-Palmolive Company segments

Full profile >

Oral Care

Oligopoly

43%

Personal Care

Competitive

18%

Home Care

Competitive

17%

Pet Nutrition

Oligopoly

22%

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.