Danaher Corporation vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Danaher Corporation trades at $207.16 (market cap $145.83B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535.14 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Danaher Corporation is far larger — about 6.3× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and Danaher Corporation pays a 0.77% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DHR | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $145.83B | $23.27B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $242.05 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $161.91 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $168.04B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 0.77% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Danaher (DHR) trades at $209.26, up 2.2% today, with strong technical momentum as the price sits above key support levels. The company has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q3 2026 EPS expected at $1.92. Fundamentals show robust profitability with a 58.51% gross margin and 15.95% net income margin, though revenue growth has been modest. Analyst sentiment is overwhelmingly positive with 69% buy ratings and a $202.33 consensus price target. Recent news highlights the acquisition of Masimo and new product launches in its biotechnology segment.
The outlook for DHR remains favorable driven by earnings beats and strategic acquisitions, but investors face risks from elevated valuation multiples and potential macroeconomic headwinds. The stock's current technical overbought condition suggests near-term consolidation may occur, yet long-term growth prospects in life sciences support a bullish stance. Key watch points include Q3 2026 earnings results and integration progress of recent acquisitions.
Ulta Beauty (ULTA) trades at $537.69, down 2.0% today, with a bullish technical outlook from moving averages and a consensus analyst price target of $618.29. Recent earnings show mixed quarterly beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $7.74 exceeding expectations, while revenue growth remains steady at $11.3B for 2025. The company maintains strong profitability with a net margin of 9.36% and ROE of 47.45%, supported by an omnichannel strategy highlighted in recent news.
The stock presents a buy opportunity with Wall Street optimism (56.53% buy ratings) and solid fundamentals, but risks include margin compression from rising costs and competitive pressures. Near-term catalysts include the Q2 2026 earnings report, with expected EPS of $6.17, and the transition from the Target partnership, viewed as a growth opportunity by analysts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
In 1984, Danaher's founders transformed a real estate organization into an industrial-focused manufacturing company. Through a series of mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures, including the Fortive separation in 2016, Danaher now focuses primarily on manufacturing scientific instruments and consumables in three segments: life sciences, diagnostics, and environmental and applied solutions. In late 2019, Danaher separated from its dental business through an initial public offering process, and in early 2020, it acquired GE's Biopharma business, now called Cytiva, which added to its life sciences segment.
Read more on DHR →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 →