VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

CSX Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

CSX Corporation

CSX · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$65.5B
Gross margin (TTM)36.6%
Operating margin (TTM)30.7%
Net margin (TTM)19.2%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRailroads
CountryUS
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 CSX Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View CSX 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: CSX Corporation leads (74 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: CSX Corporation has 5 segments (61.2% in Merchandise (Rail)); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: CSX Corporation has 6 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

CSX Corporation

Merchandise (Rail)

Market

Eastern U.S. rail freight transportation (merchandise carload)

Geography

Eastern United States (CSX network; interchange to other railroads)

Customer

Industrial, agricultural, automotive and consumer goods shippers; logistics providers

Role

Common-carrier freight railroad (line-haul + switching/terminal)

Revenue share

61.2%

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

CSX Corporation
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
CSX - NASDAQ
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$65.5B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
36.6%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
30.7%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
19.2%
9.9%
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Railroads
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Merchandise (Rail)
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
74 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-02
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network Density

CSX Corporation strengths

Permits Rights Of WayCapex Knowhow ScaleOperational ExcellenceGeographic NaturalScale Economies Unit Cost

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

CSX Corporation segments

Full profile >

Merchandise (Rail)

Oligopoly

61.2%

Intermodal (Rail)

Competitive

14.1%

Coal (Rail)

Oligopoly

15.5%

Trucking (Quality Carriers)

Competitive

5.8%

Other Revenue (Rail/Ancillary)

Competitive

3.4%

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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Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

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.