McKesson Corporation vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? McKesson Corporation trades at $898.45 (market cap $105.14B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $535.22 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: McKesson Corporation is far larger — about 4.5× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and McKesson Corporation pays a 0.42% dividend while Ulta Beauty Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MCK | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $105.14B | $23.27B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $995.69 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $659.01 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $111.67B | $25.35B |
Dividend Yield | 0.42% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
McKesson (MCK) trades at $879.87, up 1.18% today, with strong momentum from recent earnings beats and raised guidance. The stock shows bullish technical signals, supported by robust revenue growth and solid cash flow generation. Recent news highlights strength in specialty drugs and oncology, driving positive sentiment.
Outlook remains favorable with a consensus price target of $990.67, though thin profit margins and high liabilities pose risks. Continued execution on growth initiatives and cost discipline are key for sustained upside, while macroeconomic pressures and competitive dynamics require monitoring.
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
McKesson is a leading wholesaler of branded, generic, and specialty pharmaceutical products to pharmacies (retail chains, independent, and mail order), hospitals networks, and healthcare providers. Along with AmerisourceBergen and Cardinal Health, the three account for well over 90% of the U.S. pharmaceutical wholesale industry. McKesson is currently divesting from its pharmaceutical wholesale and distribution in Europe and Canada in order to redeploy capital to strategic growth areas in the U.S. (oncology network and ecosystem, and biopharma services). Additionally, the company supplies medical-surgical products and equipment to healthcare facilities and provides a variety of technology solutions for pharmacies.
Read more on MCK →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 →