VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

HLT · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$69.8B
Gross margin (TTM)27.8%
Operating margin (TTM)22%
Net margin (TTM)14.2%
SectorConsumer
IndustryTravel Lodging
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
72/ 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 Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HLT 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: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. leads (72 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 2 segments (72.7% in Management and Franchise); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. has 5 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.

Management and Franchise

Market

Hotel management, franchising and brand licensing

Geography

Global

Customer

Third-party hotel owners / franchisees and strategic partners

Role

Franchisor / manager / IP licensor

Revenue share

72.7%

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

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
HLT - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$69.8B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
27.8%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
22%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
14.2%
9.9%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Travel Lodging
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Management and Franchise
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
13%-15% (implied)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
1,350
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
72 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-01
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided Network

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. strengths

Long Term ContractsScale Economies Unit CostBrand TrustEcosystem Complements

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. segments

Full profile >

Management and Franchise

Oligopoly

72.7%

Ownership

Competitive

27.3%

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?

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.