VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Fair Isaac Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Fair Isaac Corporation

FICO · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$40.4B
Gross margin (TTM)82.2%
Operating margin (TTM)46.5%
Net margin (TTM)32.8%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
Moat score
82/ 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 Fair Isaac Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View FICO 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: Fair Isaac Corporation leads (82 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Fair Isaac Corporation has 2 segments (58.7% in Scores); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Quasi-Monopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Fair Isaac Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Fair Isaac Corporation

Scores

Market

Consumer credit scoring and related predictive scores used in lending decisions

Geography

Primarily United States; also international

Customer

Lenders (mortgage, credit card, auto, etc.), consumer reporting agencies, and consumers (B2C)

Role

Score model developer/licensor; distribution via consumer reporting agencies and direct-to-consumer channels

Revenue share

58.7%

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

Fair Isaac Corporation
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
FICO - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$40.4B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
82.2%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
46.5%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
32.8%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Software - Application
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Scores
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Quasi-Monopoly
Competitive
Market share
90% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
82 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

Fair Isaac Corporation strengths

De Facto StandardFormat Lock InBrand TrustData Workflow Lockin

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Fair Isaac Corporation segments

Full profile >

Scores

Quasi-Monopoly

58.7%

Software

Competitive

41.3%

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.