VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Intuit Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Intuit Inc.

INTU · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$180.1B
Gross margin (TTM)80.8%
Operating margin (TTM)26.7%
Net margin (TTM)21.2%
SectorTechnology
IndustrySoftware - Application
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
76/ 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 Intuit Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View INTU 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: Intuit Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Intuit Inc. has 4 segments (58.8% in Global Business Solutions); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Strong vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Intuit Inc. has 8 moat types across 4 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Intuit Inc.

Global Business Solutions

Market

Small and mid-market business financial management, payroll, payments/capital, and marketing automation software (QuickBooks ecosystem + Mailchimp)

Geography

Global

Customer

Small businesses, mid-market businesses, and accounting/bookkeeping professionals

Role

SaaS platform operator and payments/embedded-finance enabler

Revenue share

58.8%

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

Intuit Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
INTU - NASDAQ
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$180.1B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
80.8%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
26.7%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
21.2%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Software - Application
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Global Business Solutions
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Strong
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Network, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Suite BundlingTwo Sided NetworkData Network Effects

Intuit Inc. strengths

Ecosystem ComplementsData Workflow LockinBrand TrustDistribution ControlCompliance Advantage

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Intuit Inc. segments

Full profile >

Global Business Solutions

Oligopoly

58.8%

Consumer

Oligopoly

25.9%

Credit Karma

Competitive

12%

ProTax

Oligopoly

3.3%

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.