VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ulta Beauty, Inc. vs TMX Group Limited

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

TMX Group Limited

X · Toronto Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$14.1B
Gross margin (TTM)59.3%
Operating margin (TTM)38.7%
Net margin (TTM)23.8%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Data & Stock Exchanges
CountryCA
Data as of2026-01-03
Moat score
70/ 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 TMX Group Limited's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View X analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: TMX Group Limited leads (70 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail); TMX Group Limited has 9 segments (16.1% in Trayport energy trading workflow software and network).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 moat types across 5 domains; TMX Group Limited has 12 across 5.

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%

TMX Group Limited

Trayport energy trading workflow software and network

Market

Wholesale energy trading workflow software and network connectivity

Geography

Europe-centric, with global customers

Customer

Energy traders, brokers, exchanges/venues

Role

Interoperability hub / workflow platform

Revenue share

16.1%

Side-by-side metrics

Ulta Beauty, Inc.
TMX Group Limited
Ticker / Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
X - Toronto Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$29.9B
$14.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
39.2%
59.3%
Operating margin (TTM)
13.2%
38.7%
Net margin (TTM)
9.9%
23.8%
Sector
Consumer
Financials
Industry
Specialty Retail
Financial - Data & Stock Exchanges
HQ country
US
CA
Primary segment
Beauty Products Retail
Trayport energy trading workflow software and network
Market structure
Competitive
Oligopoly
Market share
8%-10% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
Moderate
Moat score
58 / 100
70 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Legal, Network, Demand, Supply, Financial
Last update
2026-01-06
2026-01-03

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Switching Costs GeneralTwo Sided Network

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Physical Network DensityContractual ExclusivityPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsFloat Prepayment

TMX Group Limited strengths

Concession LicenseBrand TrustCompliance AdvantageScale Economies Unit CostClearing SettlementRegulated Standards PipeInteroperability HubDistribution ControlData Workflow LockinBenchmark Pricing Power

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%

TMX Group Limited segments

Full profile >

TSX & TSXV listing and sustaining fees

Oligopoly

10.8%

Issuer services (TSX Trust and TMX Newsfile)

Competitive

7.9%

Equities and fixed income trading venues (TSX, TSXV, TSX Alpha, Shorcan)

Oligopoly

8.8%

Post-trade clearing, settlement and depository (CDS / CDSX)

Quasi-Monopoly

8.6%

Canadian listed derivatives trading and clearing (Montreal Exchange + CDCC, excl. BOX)

Quasi-Monopoly

12.9%

U.S. equity options exchange (BOX)

Competitive

9.6%

Trayport energy trading workflow software and network

Oligopoly

16.1%

TMX Datalinx market data and co-location

Quasi-Monopoly

15.8%

TMX VettaFi indexing, ETF analytics, and digital distribution

Oligopoly

9.5%

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.