VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

The Hershey Company vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

The Hershey Company

HSY · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$38.3B
Gross margin (TTM)37.5%
Operating margin (TTM)16.6%
Net margin (TTM)11.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryFood Confectioners
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
75/ 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 The Hershey Company's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View HSY 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: The Hershey Company leads (75 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: The Hershey Company has 3 segments (81.4% in North America Confectionery); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: The Hershey Company has 4 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

The Hershey Company

North America Confectionery

Market

Branded chocolate and non-chocolate confectionery

Geography

United States and Canada

Customer

Retail consumers via grocery, mass, club and convenience

Role

Branded manufacturer and marketer

Revenue share

81.4%

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

The Hershey Company
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
HSY - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$38.3B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
37.5%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
16.6%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
11.8%
9.9%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Food Confectioners
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
North America Confectionery
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
34%-38% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
75 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

No overlap yet.

The Hershey Company strengths

Brand TrustDistribution ControlOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

The Hershey Company segments

Full profile >

North America Confectionery

Oligopoly

81.4%

North America Salty Snacks

Oligopoly

10.1%

International

Competitive

8.5%

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.

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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.