Alliant Energy Corporation vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Alliant Energy Corporation trades at $69.65 (market cap $17.78B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535.13 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is the larger of the two by market cap, and Alliant Energy Corporation pays a 3.12% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| LNT | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $17.78B | $23.27B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $78.03 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $63.62 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $29.88B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 3.12% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Alliant Energy (LNT) trades at $68.21, down 1.67% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but bullish oscillators. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.65, beating estimates, and reaffirmed full-year guidance. Revenue grew to $4.36B in 2025, with net income margin at 18.45%. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $77.67 price target, indicating potential upside. Recent news highlights institutional activity, including Assenagon Asset Management increasing its stake by 339.9% as of August 12, 2026.
LNT presents a stable investment opportunity with consistent earnings beats and a dividend yield, but faces risks from rising debt levels and bearish technical trends. The stock's valuation metrics, including a P/E of 21.7, are reasonable for the utilities sector. Upside is supported by analyst targets, while headwinds include higher interest costs and competitive pressures.
ULTA Beauty trades at $548.66, down 2.92% on the day, with strong technical momentum indicated by bullish moving averages and key support at $542. Fundamentally, the company maintains robust profitability with 39.33% gross margins and 47.45% ROE, though recent earnings showed mixed results with a Q4 miss. Revenue growth has been consistent, reaching $11.3B in 2025, while analyst sentiment remains positive with 56.53% buy ratings.
The outlook for ULTA remains favorable with a consensus price target of $618.29 offering 12.7% upside potential. Key opportunities include omnichannel expansion and digital growth initiatives, while risks involve margin pressure from rising costs and competitive retail landscape. Institutional ownership trends show continued confidence with recent position increases by major funds.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Alliant Energy is the parent of two regulated utilities, Interstate Power and Light and Wisconsin Power and Light, serving nearly 1 million electricity and natural gas customers and approximately 420,000 natural gas-only customers. Both subsidiaries engage in the generation and distribution of electricity and the distribution and transportation of natural gas. Alliant also owns a 16% interest in American Transmission Co.
Read more on LNT →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 →