VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Sunday, January 11, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ulta Beauty, Inc. vs United Rentals, Inc.

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

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

United Rentals, Inc.

URI · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$61B
Gross margin (TTM)35.9%
Operating margin (TTM)25.1%
Net margin (TTM)15.8%
SectorIndustrials
IndustryRental & Leasing Services
CountryUS
Data as of2026-01-01
Moat score
63/ 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 United Rentals, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View URI analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: United Rentals, Inc. leads (63 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail); United Rentals, Inc. has 2 segments (70.7% in General Rentals).
  • Moat breadth: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 moat types across 5 domains; United Rentals, Inc. has 9 across 3.

Primary market context

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%

United Rentals, Inc.

General Rentals

Market

Construction & industrial equipment rental (general line)

Geography

United States and Canada

Customer

Construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners

Role

Equipment rental provider / fleet operator

Revenue share

70.7%

Side-by-side metrics

Ulta Beauty, Inc.
United Rentals, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
URI - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$29.9B
$61B
Gross margin (TTM)
39.2%
35.9%
Operating margin (TTM)
13.2%
25.1%
Net margin (TTM)
9.9%
15.8%
Sector
Consumer
Industrials
Industry
Specialty Retail
Rental & Leasing Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Beauty Products Retail
General Rentals
Market structure
Competitive
Competitive
Market share
8%-10% (reported)
9.5%-11% (implied)
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
63 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Supply, Demand, Legal
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-01

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network DensityPreferential Input Access

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralContractual ExclusivitySuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

United Rentals, Inc. strengths

Data Workflow LockinOperational ExcellenceBrand TrustService Field NetworkCompliance AdvantageScope EconomiesCapacity Moat

Segment mix

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%

United Rentals, Inc. segments

Full profile >

General Rentals

Competitive

70.7%

Specialty

Competitive

29.3%

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.