Kimberly Clark Corp vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Kimberly Clark Corp trades at $109.24 (market cap $36.11B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535.13 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Kimberly Clark Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and Kimberly Clark Corp pays a 4.72% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMB | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $36.11B | $23.27B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $134.81 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $93.05 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $41.67B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 4.72% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Kimberly-Clark (KMB) trades at $109.47, up 1.34% today, with a neutral technical signal and bearish moving averages. Recent Q2 2026 earnings missed estimates due to China diaper disruptions and a distribution center fire, though gross margin expanded. The company maintains a strong dividend yield of 4.7% and an A credit rating. Analyst consensus is a $113.20 price target with 29% buy ratings, but near-term headwinds include softer consumer demand and inventory adjustments.
Outlook remains cautious with 2026 guidance trimmed; the stock offers value at a forward P/E of 14.6x and robust cash flow, but risks from China market volatility and input cost pressures persist. Institutional interest is mixed, with recent filings showing both new positions and trims. Long-term prospects hinge on innovation and productivity gains offsetting cyclical 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
Latest headlines on both assets
With around half of sales from personal care and another third from tissue products, Kimberly-Clark sits as a leading manufacturer of tissue and hygiene realm. Its brand mix includes Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, and Cottonelle. The firm also operates K-C Professional, which partners with businesses to provide safety and sanitary products for the workplace. Kimberly-Clark generates just over of half its sales in North America and more than 10% in Europe, with the rest primarily concentrated in Asia and Latin America.
Read more on KMB →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 →