Hilton Hotels Corporation Common Stock vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Hilton Hotels Corporation Common Stock trades at $323.1 (market cap $70.82B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $531.85 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Hilton Hotels Corporation Common Stock is far larger — about 3× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and Hilton Hotels Corporation Common Stock pays a 0.19% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| HLT | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $70.82B | $23.27B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $350.22 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $256.75 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $83.83B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 0.19% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Hilton Worldwide Holdings (HLT) trades at $323.16, up 3.91% over 24 hours, with a bullish analyst consensus of 57% buy ratings and a $352 price target. Recent earnings have consistently beaten estimates, with Q2 2026 EPS at $2.29 matching expectations. The stock shows bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals, including revenue growth to $12.04B in 2025 and a net income margin of 12.69%. However, rising debt levels and a high P/E ratio of 46.21 pose valuation concerns.
The outlook for HLT is positive due to robust travel demand and a growing hotel pipeline, though premium valuation and increasing debt require caution. Investment opportunity lies in sustained earnings growth and capital returns, while risks include economic sensitivity and labor disputes, as highlighted by ongoing strikes and soft Q3 guidance affecting investor sentiment.
ULTA stock trades at $532.14, down 3.01% today, amid mixed technical signals with a bullish moving average trend but neutral oscillators. 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 Ulta's omnichannel growth strategy and the end of its Target partnership, viewed as a potential revenue opportunity by analysts.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $618.29, representing 16% upside, supported by 56.53% analyst buy ratings. Risks include margin compression, with net income margin projected to drop to 9.35% in 2026, and volatile cash flows, as net cash flow turned negative in 2025. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against competitive and execution risks in the retail sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Hilton Worldwide Holdings operates 1,074,791 rooms across its 18 brands addressing the midscale through luxury segments as of Dec. 31, 2021. Hampton and Hilton are the two largest brands by total room count at 28% and 21%, respectively, as of Dec. 31, 2021. Recent brands launched over the last few years include Home2, Curio, Canopy, Tru, and Tempo. Managed and franchised represent the vast majority of adjusted EBITDA, predominantly from the Americas regions.
Read more on HLT →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 →