Macy's Inc vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Macy's Inc trades at $24.57 (market cap $6.68B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $542.13 (market cap $23.59B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 3.5× Macy's Inc's market cap, and Macy's Inc pays a 3.02% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| M | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $6.68B | $23.59B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $26.21 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $12.11 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $10.50B | $25.67B |
Dividend Yield | 3.02% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Macy's (M) trades at $25.40, up 1.07% daily, with a bullish technical signal and positive earnings momentum after beating estimates in three consecutive quarters. The stock shows attractive valuation with a P/E of 10.5 and P/S of 0.31, while recent news highlights institutional buying and turnaround progress under the 'Bold New Chapter' strategy.
Outlook is cautiously optimistic with potential upside to the $30 analyst high target, supported by cost discipline and store revamps. Risks include competitive retail pressures and consumer spending volatility, but solid cash flow and low debt provide stability. The stock offers value with a 2.94% net margin and 14.36% ROE.
ULTA stock trades at $565.15, up 4.89% in the last session, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and strong support at $547. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $7.74, beating estimates, but faces margin compression with net income margin declining to 10.63% in 2025. Recent news highlights the end of its Target partnership as a potential growth opportunity, per BofA analysis on July 29, 2026.
The stock offers upside to the consensus price target of $618.29, with 57% of analysts rating it a buy, but risks include competitive pressures and volatile cash flows, with net cash flow turning negative in 2025. Investors should weigh robust ROE of 47.45% against elevated P/B of 9.41 and RSI levels suggesting overbought conditions.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Founded in 1858 and based in New York City, Macy's operates 570 stores under the Macy's nameplate, 58 stores under the Bloomingdale's nameplate, and 160 freestanding Bluemercury specialty beauty stores (as of the end of fiscal-year 2021). Macy's also operates e-commerce sites and licenses two Bloomingdale's stores in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Women's apparel, accessories, shoes, cosmetics, and fragrances comprised 59% of Macy's 2021 sales.
Read more on M →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 →