VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Nestle S.A. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Nestle S.A.

NESN · SIX Swiss Exchange

Market cap (USD)$194B
Gross margin (TTM)46.8%
Operating margin (TTM)15.5%
Net margin (TTM)11.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryPackaged Foods
CountryCH
Data as of2025-12-30
Moat score
57/ 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 Nestle S.A.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View NESN 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: Ulta Beauty, Inc. leads (58 / 100 vs 57 / 100 for Nestle S.A.).
  • Segment focus: Nestle S.A. has 7 segments (26.9% in Powdered and Liquid Beverages); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Nestle S.A. has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Nestle S.A.

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Market

Packaged coffee (instant, roast and ground, portioned) and other powdered beverages (cocoa/malt, creamers)

Geography

Global

Customer

Consumers (end-users) via retail and e-commerce; plus out-of-home channels

Role

Branded manufacturer and marketer; system operator for portioned coffee (machines + capsules)

Revenue share

26.9%

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

Nestle S.A.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
NESN - SIX Swiss Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$194B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
46.8%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
15.5%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
11.8%
9.9%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Packaged Foods
Specialty Retail
HQ country
CH
US
Primary segment
Powdered and Liquid Beverages
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
25% (reported)
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
57 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-30
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Preferential Input Access

Nestle S.A. strengths

Brand TrustInstalled Base ConsumablesLearning Curve YieldDistribution ControlCompliance Advantage

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivitySuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Nestle S.A. segments

Full profile >

Powdered and Liquid Beverages

Oligopoly

26.9%

PetCare

Oligopoly

20.7%

Nutrition and Health Science

Oligopoly

16.6%

Prepared dishes and cooking aids

Competitive

11.7%

Milk products and Ice cream

Competitive

11.4%

Confectionery

Oligopoly

9.2%

Water

Competitive

3.5%

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?

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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.