VOL. XCIV, NO. 247
★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★
NO ADVICE
Saturday, January 10, 2026
Stock Comparison
Ulta Beauty, Inc. vs Waters Corporation
Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
ULTA · NASDAQ
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 analysisWaters Corporation
WAT · New York Stock Exchange
Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.
Full stock profile
Dive deeper into Waters Corporation's moat claims, evidence, and risks.
View WAT analysisComparison highlights
- Moat score gap: Waters Corporation leads (66 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
- Segment focus: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail); Waters Corporation has 4 segments (34.9% in Waters instrument systems).
- Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
- Moat breadth: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 moat types across 5 domains; Waters Corporation has 7 across 2.
Primary market context
Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Beauty Products Retail
U.S. beauty products retail (specialty omnichannel beauty retailer)
United States
Consumers (end-users) shopping in-store and online
Specialty retailer / distributor
94%
Waters Corporation
Waters instrument systems
Liquid chromatography (LC/UPLC) and mass spectrometry (MS) analytical instrument systems (including LC-MS workflows and instrument control/data system software)
Global
Pharma/biotech, industrial, academic and government laboratories
OEM + software/platform provider
34.9%
Side-by-side metrics
Moat coverage
Shared moat types
No overlap yet.
Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths
Waters Corporation strengths
Segment mix
Ulta Beauty, Inc. segments
Full profile >Beauty Products Retail
Competitive
Beauty Services
Competitive
Platform Monetization (Retail Media, Credit Cards, Partner Royalties, Deferred Revenue)
Competitive
Waters Corporation segments
Full profile >Waters instrument systems
Oligopoly
Chemistry consumables
Competitive
Waters service & software maintenance
Competitive
TA instrument systems & service
Oligopoly
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View expansion-stage stocksCuration & 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.