Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) vs Newegg Commerce, Inc. (NEGG) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ULTA | 0.8% revenue growth vs NEGG's -17.5% |
| Quality / Margins | ULTA | 10.3% net margin vs NEGG's -1.7% |
| Stability / Safety | ULTA | Beta 0.90 vs NEGG's 1.27 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | NEGG | +449.6% vs ULTA's +86.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ULTA | 18.1% ROA vs NEGG's -6.1%, ROIC 33.2% vs -39.3% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Ulta Beauty is a specialty beauty retailer operating physical stores and an e-commerce platform that sells cosmetics, skincare, haircare, and fragrance products alongside in-store salon services. It generates revenue primarily from retail product sales — including its private label Ulta Beauty Collection — with salon services contributing a smaller portion of total sales. The company's key advantage is its unique "beauty playground" format that combines mass and prestige brands under one roof alongside professional salon services, creating a differentiated omnichannel experience.
Newegg is an electronics-focused e-commerce retailer operating primarily in North America. It generates revenue through direct online sales of computer hardware, gaming gear, consumer electronics, and related products — with its marketplace also earning commissions from third-party sellers. The company's competitive advantage lies in its specialized focus on tech-savvy customers and its strong reputation within the PC building and gaming communities.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
ULTA leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). NEGG leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ULTA is the larger business by revenue, generating $11.7B annually — 8.9x NEGG's $1.3B. ULTA is the more profitable business, keeping 10.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to NEGG's -1.7%. On growth, NEGG holds the edge at +12.5% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. | NEGGNewegg Commerce, … |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $11.7B | $1.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.9B | -$20M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $1.2B | -$23M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $952M | $9M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +39.0% | +11.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +13.7% | -2.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +10.3% | -1.7% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +8.2% | +0.7% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.3% | +12.5% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +9.1% | +82.8% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. | NEGGNewegg Commerce, … |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $31.3B | $866.0B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $32.6B | $866.0B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 27.02x | -19.76x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 26.71x | — |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.71x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 17.64x | — |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 2.77x | 700.90x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 13.05x | 8.08x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 32.50x | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
ULTA delivers a 46.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $46 in annual profit, vs $-20 for NEGG. NEGG carries lower financial leverage with a 0.69x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ULTA's 0.77x.
| Metric | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. | NEGGNewegg Commerce, … |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +46.1% | -19.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +18.1% | -6.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +33.2% | -39.3% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +38.2% | -28.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.77x | 0.69x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $1.2B | -$27M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $703M | $100M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $1.9B | $73M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | -54.15x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ULTA five years ago would be worth $20,295 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $2,538 for NEGG. Over the past 12 months, NEGG leads with a +449.6% total return vs ULTA's +86.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors NEGG at 16.9% vs ULTA's 9.7% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. | NEGGNewegg Commerce, … |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +10.4% | -15.0% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +86.9% | +449.6% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +32.0% | +59.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +102.9% | -74.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +314.5% | -83.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +9.7% | +16.9% |
Risk & Volatility
ULTA is the less volatile stock with a 0.90 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than NEGG's 1.27 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. ULTA currently trades 95.8% from its 52-week high vs NEGG's 32.3% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. | NEGGNewegg Commerce, … |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.90x | 1.27x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $714.97 | $137.84 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $309.01 | $3.32 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +95.8% | +32.3% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 59.5 | 45.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 449K | 72K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates ULTA as "Buy" and NEGG as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 1.3% upside for ULTA (target: $694) vs -82.6% for NEGG (target: $8).
| Metric | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. | NEGGNewegg Commerce, … |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $693.73 | $7.75 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 47 | 1 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +3.3% | +0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 100 | 259.28 | +159.3% |
| Newegg Commerce, In… (NEGG) | 100 | 62.11 | -37.9% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) returned +103% over 5 years vs Newegg Commerce, In… (NEGG)'s -75%. A $10,000 investment in ULTA 5 years ago would be worth $20,295 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | $3.9B | $11.3B | +187.9% |
| Newegg Commerce, In… (NEGG) | $738301.00 | $1.2B | +167254.0% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.9B (2015) to $11.3B (2024) — a 12.5% CAGR. Newegg Commerce, Inc.'s revenue grew from $1M (2015) to $1.2B (2024) — a 128.1% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 8.2% | 10.6% | +30.4% |
| Newegg Commerce, In… (NEGG) | -13.8% | -3.5% | +74.7% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s net margin went from 8% (2015) to 11% (2024). Newegg Commerce, Inc.'s net margin went from -14% (2015) to -4% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 25 | 17.2 | -31.2% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc. has traded in a 17x–92x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~27x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 4.98 | 25.34 | +408.8% |
| Newegg Commerce, In… (NEGG) | -27.74 | -2.25 | +91.9% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s EPS grew from $4.98 (2015) to $25.34 (2024) — a 20% CAGR. Newegg Commerce, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-27.74 (2015) to $-2.25 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Ulta Beauty, Inc. generated $964M FCF in 2024 (+9% vs 2021). Newegg Commerce, Inc. generated $-4M FCF in 2024 (+93% vs 2021).
ULTA vs NEGG: Frequently Asked Questions
8 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is ULTA or NEGG a better buy right now?
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) offers the better valuation at 27.0x trailing P/E (26.7x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) a "Buy" — based on 47 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — ULTA or NEGG?
Over the past 5 years, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) delivered a total return of +102.9%, compared to -74.6% for Newegg Commerce, Inc. (NEGG). A $10,000 investment in ULTA five years ago would be worth approximately $20K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ULTA returned +314.5% versus NEGG's -83.5%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — ULTA or NEGG?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is the lower-risk stock at 0.90β versus Newegg Commerce, Inc.'s 1.27β — meaning NEGG is approximately 41% more volatile than ULTA relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Newegg Commerce, Inc. (NEGG) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 69% versus 77% for Ulta Beauty, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — ULTA or NEGG?
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is the more profitable company, earning 10.6% net margin versus -3.5% for Newegg Commerce, Inc. — meaning it keeps 10.6% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: ULTA leads at 14.0% versus -4.2% for NEGG. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ULTA leads at 38.8%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Is ULTA or NEGG more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ULTA: 1.3% to $693.73.
06Which pays a better dividend — ULTA or NEGG?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
07Is ULTA or NEGG better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.90), +314.5% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ULTA: +314.5%, NEGG: -83.5%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
08What are the main differences between ULTA and NEGG?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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