VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Constellation Software Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Constellation Software Inc.

CSU · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$70.5B
Gross margin (TTM)50.8%
Operating margin (TTM)10%
Net margin (TTM)6.2%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryCA
Data as of2026-01-02
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 Constellation Software Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CSU 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: Constellation Software Inc. leads (74 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Constellation Software Inc. has 6 segments; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Moat breadth: Constellation Software Inc. has 3 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Constellation Software Inc.

Volaris Operating Group

Market

Vertical market software (VMS) portfolios across diverse industries (Volaris)

Geography

Global (North America, Continental Europe, UK, Australia, South America, Africa)

Customer

Organizations in specific verticals (mix of public and private sector)

Role

Vertical market software vendor (application provider + long-term maintainer)

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

Constellation Software Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CSU - Toronto Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$70.5B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
50.8%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
10%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
6.2%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Software - Application
Specialty Retail
HQ country
CA
US
Primary segment
Volaris Operating Group
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
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
2026-01-02
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

Constellation Software Inc. strengths

Installed Base ConsumablesOperational Excellence

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Constellation Software Inc. segments

Full profile >

Volaris Operating Group

Competitive

n/a

Harris Operating Group

Competitive

n/a

Topicus.com Operating Group

Competitive

n/a

Jonas Operating Group

Competitive

n/a

Perseus Operating Group

Competitive

n/a

Vela Operating Group

Competitive

n/a

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.