iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF trades at $69.09, while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $469.2 (market cap $20.17B). The key difference: iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ulta Beauty Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AOR | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
52-Week High | $69.85 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $61.00 | $450.75 |
Market Cap | — | $20.17B |
Sector | — | Consumer Cyclical |
Enterprise Value | — | $22.25B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
The iShares Core Growth Allocation ETF (AOR) trades at $69.10, up 0.25% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The fund maintains a fixed 60/40 stock/bond allocation, rebalanced semiannually, with a low 0.20% expense ratio. Recent news highlights its role as a core holding but notes underperformance versus the S&P 500 over a decade.
Outlook: AOR offers diversified, low-cost exposure but faces headwinds from equity-bond correlation shifts. Risks include interest rate sensitivity and competition from pure equity funds. Analyst sentiment is mixed, balancing simplicity against relative returns.
ULTA Beauty trades at $469.20, up 1.95% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals including a 9.36% net income margin and 47.45% ROE. Recent Q1 2026 earnings beat expectations at $7.74 EPS versus $6.89. The stock is near its pivot point of $457, with resistance at $470. Positive news highlights international expansion and a robust loyalty program driving 95% of sales.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is bullish with a $623.73 price target, but technicals and recent net cash flow negativity pose risks. Investment opportunity lies in market share gains and AI-driven personalization, while headwinds include competitive pressures and margin compression from 11.42% in 2022 to 9.35% projected for 2026.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
The fund is a fund of funds and seeks its investment objective by investing primarily in underlying funds that themselves seek investment results corresponding to their own respective underlying indexes. It generally will invest at least 80% of its assets in the component securities of its underlying index. The index measures the performance of the S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC proprietary allocation model.
Read more on AOR →With more than 1,300 stores and a partnership with Target, Ulta Beauty is the largest specialized beauty retailer in the U.S. The firm offers makeup (43% of 2021 sales), fragrances, skin care, and hair care products (20% of 2021 sales), and bath and body items. Ulta offers private-label products and merchandise from more than 500 vendors. It also offers salon services, including hair, makeup, skin, and brow services, in all stores. Most Ulta stores are approximately 10,000 square feet and are in suburban strip centers. Ulta was founded in 1990 and is based in Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Read more on ULTA →