CVS Health Corp vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? CVS Health Corp trades at $87.25 (market cap $112.29B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $567.07 (market cap $24.12B). The key difference: CVS Health Corp is far larger — about 4.7× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and CVS Health Corp pays a 3.03% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold CVS Health Corp for 83 Days and Ulta Beauty Inc for 92 Days on average.
| CVS | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $112.29B | $24.12B |
Volume | 7,763,676 | 457,598 |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $110.60 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $70.08 | $450.75 |
Typical Hold Time | 83 Days | 92 Days |
Enterprise Value | $174.64B | $26.43B |
Dividend Yield | 3.03% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CVS Health trades at $87.95, up 1.76% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and strong analyst support. Recent earnings beats in Q1 and Q2 2026, alongside steady revenue growth to $402.07B in 2025, highlight operational strength. The stock's valuation appears attractive with a P/E of 23.17 and P/S of 0.27, while a consensus price target of $111.20 suggests significant upside potential. Positive news includes Aetna's 2027 Medicare plan enhancements and a declared quarterly dividend.
The outlook for CVS remains positive, driven by earnings momentum and strategic initiatives in healthcare services. Key risks include reimbursement pressures and regulatory scrutiny, but Wall Street's 85% buy rating and institutional interest underscore confidence. Investors should weigh the stock's growth prospects against margin volatility and debt levels, with the current price offering a favorable entry point relative to targets.
ULTA Beauty trades at $545.48, down 0.33% on the day, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages. The company reported strong Q2 2026 earnings beat and raised 2026 guidance, though Q4 2025 missed expectations. Valuation metrics show a P/E of 20.55 and P/S of 1.92, with robust profitability including 46.12% ROE. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 59.57% buy ratings and a $624.93 price target, representing 14.6% upside potential.
ULTA presents a compelling growth story with e-commerce momentum and expansion into wellness categories, though margin compression and flat traffic pose near-term challenges. The stock offers attractive upside to analyst targets but faces execution risks amid consumer spending pressures. Institutional ownership remains strong with recent buying activity from major funds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Following its acquisition of Aetna in late 2018, CVS Health now provides an even more integrated healthcare-services offering for its members. Legacy CVS combined both the largest pharmacy benefit manager, processing over 2 billion adjusted claims annually, and a sizable pharmacy operation, including nearly 10,000 retail pharmacy locations primarily in the U.S. Adding a managed-care organization with 24 million medical members gives the company a strong position in the insurance industry and should help CVS better control overall healthcare costs for its clients.
Read more on CVS →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 →