VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

The Charles Schwab Corporation vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

The Charles Schwab Corporation

SCHW · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$182.2B
Gross margin (TTM)84.4%
Operating margin (TTM)39%
Net margin (TTM)30.3%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Capital Markets
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-26
Moat score
74/ 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 The Charles Schwab Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SCHW 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: The Charles Schwab Corporation leads (74 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: The Charles Schwab Corporation has 2 segments (79.4% in Investor Services); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Weak vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: The Charles Schwab Corporation has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

The Charles Schwab Corporation

Investor Services

Market

U.S. retail brokerage, self-directed investing, and wealth management platforms

Geography

United States

Customer

Retail investors, employers, retirement plan sponsors

Role

Broker-dealer + bank + wealth manager platform

Revenue share

79.4%

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

The Charles Schwab Corporation
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
SCHW - New York Stock Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$182.2B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
84.4%
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
39%
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
30.3%
9.9%
Sector
Financials
Consumer
Industry
Financial - Capital Markets
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Investor Services
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Weak
Moderate
Moat score
74 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Supply, Demand, Financial, Network
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2025-12-26
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Suite BundlingFloat Prepayment

The Charles Schwab Corporation strengths

Scale Economies Unit CostBrand TrustData Workflow LockinEcosystem ComplementsService Field Network

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessData Network EffectsTwo Sided Network

Segment mix

The Charles Schwab Corporation segments

Full profile >

Investor Services

Oligopoly

79.4%

Advisor Services

Oligopoly

20.6%

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?

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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.