VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Nasdaq, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Nasdaq, Inc.

NDAQ · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$56.4B
Gross margin (TTM)41.1%
Operating margin (TTM)27.2%
Net margin (TTM)19.9%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-31
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 Nasdaq, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NDAQ 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: Nasdaq, Inc. leads (76 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Nasdaq, Inc. has 3 segments (42.4% in Capital Access Platforms); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Nasdaq, Inc. has 9 moat types across 5 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Nasdaq, Inc.

Capital Access Platforms

Market

Issuer and investor solutions: listings, index licensing, market data, and investment analytics/workflow platforms

Geography

Global (with major exposure to U.S. and Nordic/Baltic markets)

Customer

Public/private companies (issuers), asset managers, institutional investors, data subscribers

Role

Listing venue + index administrator/licensor + data/analytics provider

Revenue share

42.4%

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

Nasdaq, Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
NDAQ - NASDAQ
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$56.4B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
41.1%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
27.2%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
19.9%
9.9%
Sector
Financials
Consumer
Industry
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Capital Access Platforms
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
80%-84% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
76 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Legal, Network, Supply, Demand, Financial
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-31
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkPhysical Network Density

Nasdaq, Inc. strengths

Concession LicenseBrand TrustDe Facto StandardBenchmark Pricing PowerData Workflow LockinCompliance AdvantageLong Term Contracts

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Nasdaq, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Market Services

Competitive

21.9%

Capital Access Platforms

Oligopoly

42.4%

Financial Technology

Competitive

35.6%

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.