VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Stock Comparison

Ulta Beauty, Inc. vs Yum China Holdings, 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

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

YUMC · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$17.1B
Gross margin (TTM)17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)11.2%
Net margin (TTM)7.8%
SectorConsumer
IndustryRestaurants
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-28
Moat score
75/ 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 Yum China Holdings, Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View YUMC analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score gap: Yum China Holdings, Inc. leads (75 / 100 vs 58 / 100 for Ulta Beauty, Inc.).
  • Segment focus: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 3 segments (94% in Beauty Products Retail); Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 3 segments (75.3% in KFC).
  • Primary market structure: Competitive vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs Moderate.
  • Moat breadth: Ulta Beauty, Inc. has 8 moat types across 5 domains; Yum China Holdings, Inc. has 7 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%

Yum China Holdings, Inc.

KFC

Market

Quick-service restaurants (QSR), chicken-focused, in China

Geography

China

Customer

Consumers (end-users) via dine-in, takeaway and delivery

Role

Brand owner/operator (company-owned + franchised restaurants)

Revenue share

75.3%

Side-by-side metrics

Ulta Beauty, Inc.
Yum China Holdings, Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
ULTA - NASDAQ
YUMC - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$29.9B
$17.1B
Gross margin (TTM)
39.2%
17.2%
Operating margin (TTM)
13.2%
11.2%
Net margin (TTM)
9.9%
7.8%
Sector
Consumer
Consumer
Industry
Specialty Retail
Restaurants
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Beauty Products Retail
KFC
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
75 / 100
Moat domains
Demand, Supply, Legal, Network, Financial
Legal, Demand, Supply
Last update
2026-01-06
2025-12-28

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Physical Network DensityContractual Exclusivity

Ulta Beauty, Inc. strengths

Switching Costs GeneralPreferential Input AccessSuite BundlingData Network EffectsTwo Sided NetworkFloat Prepayment

Yum China Holdings, Inc. strengths

Brand TrustSupply Chain ControlHabit DefaultOperational ExcellenceScope Economies

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%

Yum China Holdings, Inc. segments

Full profile >

KFC

Oligopoly

75.3%

Pizza Hut

Competitive

20%

All Other Segments (Emerging brands, delivery & e-commerce)

Competitive

1.6%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

Browse the full ranking of wide moat stocks, updated with moat scores and segment context.

View the moat stocks list

Looking for expansion-stage stocks?

Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

View expansion-stage stocks

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.