Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) vs Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
Selected Stocks
Add up to 10 tickers. Use presets or search to get started.
Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ULTA | 0.8% revenue growth vs JWEL's -16.9% |
| Value | JWEL | Better valuation composite |
| Quality / Margins | ULTA | 10.3% net margin vs JWEL's -6.6% |
| Stability / Safety | JWEL | Beta 0.13 vs ULTA's 0.90, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | ULTA | +86.9% vs JWEL's -17.7% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ULTA | 18.1% ROA vs JWEL's -75.2%, ROIC 33.2% vs -28.0% |
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
Jowell Global operates an online retail platform and physical stores selling cosmetics, health supplements, and household products in China. It generates revenue primarily through direct product sales — including its own Love Home brand — and marketplace fees from third-party sellers on its platform. The company benefits from its extensive physical retail network of over 26,000 Love Home stores, which provides omnichannel reach and brand visibility across China.
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.
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). JWEL leads in 2 (Valuation Metrics, Analyst Outlook). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
ULTA is the larger business by revenue, generating $11.7B annually — 39.8x JWEL's $293M. ULTA is the more profitable business, keeping 10.3% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to JWEL's -6.6%. On growth, ULTA holds the edge at +9.3% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | JWELJowell Global Ltd. | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $293M | $11.7B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$16M | $1.9B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$19M | $1.2B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$13M | $952M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +1.5% | +39.0% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -6.5% | +13.7% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -6.6% | +10.3% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -4.4% | +8.2% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -37.4% | +9.3% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +4.4% | +9.1% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | JWELJowell Global Ltd. | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $5M | $31.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $5M | $32.6B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -0.63x | 27.02x |
| 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 | 0.04x | 2.77x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.30x | 13.05x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 7.56x | 32.50x |
Profitability & Efficiency
ULTA delivers a 46.1% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $46 in annual profit, vs $-115 for JWEL. JWEL carries lower financial leverage with a 0.13x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to ULTA's 0.77x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), ULTA scores 5/9 vs JWEL's 3/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | JWELJowell Global Ltd. | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -114.9% | +46.1% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -75.2% | +18.1% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -28.0% | +33.2% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -36.2% | +38.2% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 5 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.13x | 0.77x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $37,596 | $1.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $2M | $703M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $2M | $1.9B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -182.03x | — |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ULTA five years ago would be worth $20,295 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $182 for JWEL. Over the past 12 months, ULTA leads with a +86.9% total return vs JWEL's -17.7%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ULTA at 9.7% vs JWEL's -28.3% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | JWELJowell Global Ltd. | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -0.4% | +10.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -17.7% | +86.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -63.1% | +32.0% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.2% | +102.9% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -98.2% | +314.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -28.3% | +9.7% |
Risk & Volatility
JWEL is the less volatile stock with a 0.13 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than ULTA's 0.90 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 JWEL's 77.9% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | JWELJowell Global Ltd. | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.13x | 0.90x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $2.98 | $714.97 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1.47 | $309.01 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +77.9% | +95.8% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 44.8 | 59.5 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 16K | 449K |
Analyst Outlook
| Metric | JWELJowell Global Ltd. | ULTAUlta Beauty, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $693.73 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 47 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 1 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +3.3% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) | 100 | 1.54 | -98.5% |
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 100 | 212.22 | +112.2% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) returned +103% over 5 years vs Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL)'s -98%. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) | $24M | $133M | +449.8% |
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | $3.9B | $11.3B | +187.9% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s revenue grew from $3.9B (2015) to $11.3B (2024) — a 12.5% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2015 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) | 6.1% | -6.0% | -198.0% |
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 8.2% | 10.6% | +30.4% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s net margin went from 8% (2015) to 11% (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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) | 0.07 | -3.67 | -5066.2% |
| Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) | 4.98 | 25.34 | +408.8% |
Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s EPS grew from $4.98 (2015) to $25.34 (2024) — a 20% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Jowell Global Ltd. generated $1M FCF in 2024 (+103% vs 2021). Ulta Beauty, Inc. generated $964M FCF in 2024 (+9% vs 2021).
JWEL vs ULTA: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is JWEL or ULTA 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 — JWEL or ULTA?
Over the past 5 years, Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) delivered a total return of +102.9%, compared to -98.2% for Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL). 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 JWEL's -98.2%. 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 — JWEL or ULTA?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) is the lower-risk stock at 0.13β versus Ulta Beauty, Inc.'s 0.90β — meaning ULTA is approximately 610% more volatile than JWEL relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 13% versus 77% for Ulta Beauty, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — JWEL or ULTA?
Ulta Beauty, Inc. (ULTA) is the more profitable company, earning 10.6% net margin versus -6.0% for Jowell Global Ltd. — 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 -6.1% for JWEL. 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.
05Which pays a better dividend — JWEL or ULTA?
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.
06Is JWEL or ULTA better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Jowell Global Ltd. (JWEL) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.13)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (JWEL: -98.2%, ULTA: +314.5%), 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.
07What are the main differences between JWEL and ULTA?
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.
Find Stocks Like These
Explore pre-built screens for each stock's profile, or build a custom screen to find stocks that beat both.