General Mills, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? General Mills, Inc. trades at $38.24 (market cap $20.24B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $532.62 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: General Mills, Inc. and Ulta Beauty Inc are close in size by market cap, and General Mills, Inc. pays a 6.43% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| GIS | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $20.24B | $23.27B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $51.11 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $32.17 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $33.73B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 6.43% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
General Mills (GIS) trades at $38.21, up 2.55% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but mixed oscillators. Recent earnings show volatility, beating estimates in Q3 2025 and Q2 2026 but missing in Q4 2025. Revenue has declined from $20.1B in 2023 to $19.5B in 2025, with net income margin turning negative at -0.48% for 2026. The company maintains a dividend and is pursuing cost savings initiatives, while debt-to-asset ratio has risen to 45% in 2025.
Outlook is cautious; the stock offers a low P/E of 9.23 and dividend income, but faces headwinds from weak sales, margin pressure, and high debt. Analyst consensus is mixed with 22% buy, 61% hold ratings. Key risks include competitive pressures and execution of turnaround plans. Investors should weigh valuation appeal against fundamental challenges.
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
General Mills is a leading global packaged food company that produces snacks, cereal, convenient meals, yogurt, dough, baking mixes and ingredients, pet food, and superpremium ice cream. Its largest brands are Nature Valley, Cheerios, Old El Paso, Yoplait, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, BLUE, and Haagen-Dazs. In fiscal 2022, 77% of its revenue was derived from the United States, although the company also operates in Canada, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Latin America. While most of General Mills' products are sold through retail stores to consumers, the company also sells products into the food-service channel and the commercial baking industry.
Read more on GIS →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 →