VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Stock Comparison
Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Costco Wholesale Corporation
COST · Nasdaq Global Select Market
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Costco Wholesale Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View COST analysisUlta Beauty, Inc.
ULTA · NASDAQ
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 analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Costco Wholesale Corporation leads (80 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
- Segment focus: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 2 segments (98.1% in Warehouse club retail); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
- Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
- Moat breadth: Costco Wholesale Corporation has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.
Primary market context
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Warehouse club retail
Membership warehouse club retail (warehouse clubs, ancillary services, and e-commerce)
Global
Households and small businesses
Retailer (membership club)
98.1%
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Beauty Products Retail
U.S. beauty products retail (specialty omnichannel beauty retailer)
United States
Consumers (end-users) shopping in-store and online
Specialty retailer / distributor
94%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
Costco Wholesale Corporation strengths
Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths
Segment mix
Costco Wholesale Corporation segments
Full profile >Warehouse club retail
Oligopoly
Membership fees (subscription)
Oligopoly
Ulta Beauty, Inc. segments
Full profile >Beauty Products Retail
Competitive
Beauty Services
Competitive
Platform Monetization (Retail Media, Credit Cards, Partner Royalties, Deferred Revenue)
Competitive
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View expansion-stage stocksCuration & 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.