Dollar General Corp. vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Dollar General Corp. trades at $119.27 (market cap $26.50B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $469.56 (market cap $20.17B). The key difference: Dollar General Corp. is the larger of the two by market cap, and Dollar General Corp. pays a 1.96% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DG | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $26.50B | $20.17B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $156.26 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $95.94 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $40.95B | $22.25B |
Dividend Yield | 1.96% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Dollar General (DG) trades at $123.44, up 3.8% with strong technical momentum and bullish analyst sentiment. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.00 exceeding expectations of $1.89. Revenue growth continues at $40.61B for 2025, while profit margins face pressure at 3.63%. Recent news highlights the company's back-to-school initiatives and margin expansion efforts.
The outlook remains positive with a $128.45 consensus price target representing 4% upside. Key opportunities include continued same-store sales growth and margin recovery, while risks involve consumer spending sensitivity and competitive pressures in discount retail. The technical setup suggests near-term resistance around $125-$128 levels.
ULTA trades at $473.33, up 0.88% today, with a bullish technical signal despite mixed moving averages. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $7.74, beating expectations, and maintains strong profitability with a 39.33% gross margin and 47.45% ROE. Recent news highlights international expansion and a partnership with Bath & Body Works, while analyst consensus remains strongly positive with a $623.73 price target.
ULTA presents a compelling investment case with robust fundamentals and growth initiatives, though risks include competitive pressures and potential margin compression. The stock's current valuation below analyst targets suggests upside potential, supported by strong loyalty program engagement and strategic expansions.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
A leading American discount retailer, Dollar General operates over 18,000 stores in 47 states, selling branded and private-label products across a wide variety of categories. In fiscal 2021, 77% of net sales came from consumables (including paper and cleaning products, packaged and perishable food, tobacco, and health and beauty items), 12% from seasonal merchandise (such as toys, greeting cards, decorations, and gardening supplies), 7% from home products (for example, kitchen supplies, small appliances, and cookware), and 4% from basic apparel. Stores average roughly 7,400 square feet, and about 75% of Dollar General locations are in towns of 20,000 or fewer people. The firm emphasizes value, with most of its items sold at everyday low prices of $5 or less.
Read more on DG →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 →