VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Pool Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

Pool Corporation

POOL · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$9.4B
Gross margin (TTM)29.6%
Operating margin (TTM)11.1%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryIndustrial - Distribution
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-06
Moat score
56/ 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 Pool Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View POOL 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 56 / 100 for Pool Corporation).
  • Segment focus: Pool Corporation has 1 segment (100% in Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Pool Corporation has 5 moat types across 2 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

Pool Corporation

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Market

Wholesale distribution of swimming pool, irrigation/landscape, and related outdoor living products

Geography

North America (majority), with operations in Europe and Australia

Customer

Pool builders/remodelers, pool service/repair professionals, specialty pool retailers, irrigation/landscape contractors, commercial pool operators

Role

Distributor / wholesaler

Revenue share

100%

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

Pool Corporation
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
POOL - NASDAQ
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$9.4B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
29.6%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
11.1%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
7.8%
9.9%
Sector
Industrials
Consumer
Industry
Industrial - Distribution
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
56 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network Density

Pool Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostScope EconomiesProcurement InertiaData Workflow Lockin

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

Pool Corporation segments

Full profile >

Wholesale distribution (pool, irrigation, outdoor living)

Competitive

100%

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.