VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Judges Scientific plc vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Judges Scientific plc

JDG · London Stock Exchange - AIM

Market cap (USD)$384.2M
Gross margin (TTM)31.8%
Operating margin (TTM)16.3%
Net margin (TTM)9.3%
SectorTechnology
IndustryHardware, Equipment & Parts
CountryGB
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
63/ 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 Judges Scientific plc's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View JDG 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: Judges Scientific plc leads (63 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Judges Scientific plc has 2 segments (51.7% in Vacuum); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Moat breadth: Judges Scientific plc has 3 moat types across 1 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Judges Scientific plc

Vacuum

Market

Vacuum and surface-science related instrumentation (e.g., UHV/vacuum components and systems, thin-film/surface engineering adjacent tools)

Geography

Global

Customer

Research labs and high-tech manufacturing

Role

Equipment manufacturer

Revenue share

51.7%

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

Judges Scientific plc
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
JDG - London Stock Exchange - AIM
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$384.2M
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
31.8%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
16.3%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
9.3%
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
Hardware, Equipment & Parts
Specialty Retail
HQ country
GB
US
Primary segment
Vacuum
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
63 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs General

Judges Scientific plc strengths

Brand TrustBuy-and-build acquisition engine

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

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

Segment mix

Judges Scientific plc segments

Full profile >

Materials Sciences

Competitive

48.4%

Vacuum

Competitive

51.7%

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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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.