VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty, Inc.

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

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

SSNC · NASDAQ

Market cap (USD)$21.2B
Gross margin (TTM)
Operating margin (TTM)
Net margin (TTM)
SectorTechnology
Industry
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-11
Moat score
68/ 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 SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View SSNC 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: SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. leads (68 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. has 3 segments (82.3% in Software-enabled services); Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Competitive. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. has 7 moat types across 4 domains; Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 across 5.

Primary market context

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.

Software-enabled services

Market

Software-enabled outsourcing and subscription services for financial services and healthcare (fund administration, transfer agency, middle/back office BPO, managed IT)

Geography

Global

Customer

Financial services firms (asset/wealth managers, alternative managers, banks, insurers) and healthcare payers/administrators

Role

Service provider / outsourcer (SaaS + BPO)

Revenue share

82.3%

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

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
SSNC - NASDAQ
ULTA - NASDAQ
Market cap (USD)
$21.2B
$29.9B
Gross margin (TTM)
n/a
39.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
n/a
13.2%
Net margin (TTM)
n/a
9.9%
Sector
Technology
Consumer
Industry
n/a
Specialty Retail
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Software-enabled services
Beauty Products Retail
Market structure
Oligopoly
Competitive
Market share
n/a
8%-10% (reported)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
68 / 100
58 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Last update
2026-01-11
2026-01-06

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Suite BundlingTwo Sided Network

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinScale Economies Unit CostCompliance AdvantageLong Term ContractsInteroperability Hub

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPhysical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessData Network EffectsFloat Prepayment

Segment mix

SS&C Technologies Holdings, Inc. segments

Full profile >

Software-enabled services

Oligopoly

82.3%

License, maintenance and related

Oligopoly

17.7%

Funds network connectivity (Calastone)

Oligopoly

n/a

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.