Monster Beverage Corp vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Monster Beverage Corp trades at $42.92 (market cap $84.53B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $542.26 (market cap $24.12B). The key difference: Monster Beverage Corp is far larger — about 3.5× Ulta Beauty Inc's market cap, and Monster Beverage Corp is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ulta Beauty Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MNST | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $84.53B | $24.12B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $49.97 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $31.41 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $82.83B | $26.43B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Monster Beverage (MNST) trades at $43.15, down 1.53% on the day, following a recent 2-for-1 stock split completed August 11, 2026. The stock shows strong fundamental performance with revenue growing from $6.3B in 2022 to $8.3B in 2025, while net income expanded to $1.91B. Technical indicators present a mixed picture with bullish oscillators but bearish moving averages, creating uncertainty in the near-term direction. Analyst consensus remains positive with 51% buy ratings and a $51.10 price target representing 18% upside potential.
MNST offers compelling growth prospects driven by 20%+ revenue growth and expanding international presence (46% of Q2 2026 sales). However, elevated valuation multiples (P/E 39.95, P/S 9.24) and rising cost pressures present risks. The company's consistent earnings beats and strong cash flow generation support the bullish case, but investors should weigh growth potential against premium valuation in a competitive beverage market.
ULTA Beauty trades at $549.23, down 2.64% today, amid mixed signals. The stock shows a bullish technical trend with strong moving averages, while fundamentals reveal steady revenue growth to $11.30B in 2025, though net income margin has softened to 9.34%. Recent Q2 2026 earnings beat expectations, and the company raised full-year guidance, yet some segments like cosmetics showed flat performance.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic, with a consensus price target of $653.14 implying significant upside. Key opportunities include digital growth and AI integration potential, but risks involve competitive pressures and reliance on discretionary consumer spending. Analyst sentiment remains predominantly bullish, supporting a favorable risk-reward profile for long-term investors.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Monster Beverage is a leader in the energy drink subsegment of the beverage industry. The Monster trademark anchors the portfolio, and notable offerings include Monster Energy and Monster Ultra. The firm has also started to incubate new trademarks for emerging enclaves of the energy space, like Reign in performance energy. It is primarily a brand owner, outsourcing most of its manufacturing processes to third-party copackers. It primarily uses the Coca-Cola bottling system for distribution after a strategic agreement in which Coke became Monster's largest shareholder (nearly 20%) and that also included the exchange of certain businesses between the two firms. Most of Monster's revenue is generated in the United States, though international geographies are increasing in the mix.
Read more on MNST →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 →