Carlyle Group Inc vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Carlyle Group Inc trades at $47.81 (market cap $17.23B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $537.22 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Carlyle Group Inc pays a 2.9% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| CG | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.23B | $23.27B |
Sector | Financials | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $69.35 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $40.52 | $450.75 |
Dividend Yield | 2.9% | — |
Enterprise Value | — | $25.35B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CG trades at $47.80, up 0.02% daily, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $59.14. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, with EPS of $1.07 versus $0.91 expected, while revenue trends show volatility, declining to $2.8B in 2026 from $3.2B in 2025. The company maintains a dividend of $0.35 per share and has strong institutional interest, with 53.84% of analysts rating it a Buy.
The outlook for CG is positive due to earnings beats and analyst optimism, but risks include inconsistent cash flow from operations and declining revenue. Investment opportunity lies in potential upside to the price target, supported by fundraising strength and strategic partnerships, though investors should monitor execution risks and macroeconomic pressures.
ULTA Beauty trades at $548.66, down 2.92% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages and key support at $542. Fundamentally, the company maintains robust profitability with 39.33% gross margins and 47.45% ROE, though recent earnings showed mixed results with a Q4 miss. Revenue growth has been consistent, reaching $11.3B in 2025, while analyst sentiment remains positive with 56.53% buy ratings.
The outlook for ULTA remains favorable with a consensus price target of $618.29 offering 12.7% upside potential. Key opportunities include omnichannel expansion and digital growth initiatives, while risks involve margin pressure from rising costs and competitive retail landscape. Institutional ownership trends show continued confidence with recent position increases by major funds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
The Carlyle Group is one of the world's largest alternative-asset managers, with $376.4 billion in total assets under management, including $259.6 billion in fee-earning AUM, at the end of June 2022. The company has three core business segments: private equity, which includes private equity, real estate, infrastructure and natural resources funds (accounting for 41% of fee-earning AUM and 65% of base management fees during 2021), global credit (45% and 24%) and investment solutions (14% and 11%). The firm primarily serves institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. Carlyle operates through 29 offices across five continents, serving close to 2,700 active carry fund investors from 95 countries.
Read more on CG →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 →