Marqeta Inc vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Marqeta Inc trades at $15.42 (market cap $1.62B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $534.98 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Ulta Beauty Inc is far larger — about 14.4× Marqeta Inc's market cap, and Ulta Beauty Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Marqeta Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MQ | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $1.62B | $23.27B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $26.00 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $15.04 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $935.36M | $25.35B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Marqeta (MQ) trades at $15.6, down 2.26% on the day, with a bearish technical outlook and mixed fundamentals. The stock recently underwent a 4:1 reverse split and shows improving revenue trends, though profitability remains thin. Recent news highlights partnerships with Google and Riskified to expand product offerings and reduce fraud.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic due to revenue growth and strategic expansions, but high valuation ratios and inconsistent earnings pose risks. Analyst consensus is a Buy with a $19 price target, suggesting potential upside if execution improves and margins expand.
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
Headquartered in Oakland, California, and founded in 2010, Marqeta provides its clients with a card-issuing platform that offers the infrastructure and tools necessary to offer digital, physical, and tokenized payment options without the need for a traditional bank. The company's open APIs are designed to allow third parties like DoorDash, Klarna, and Block to rapidly develop and deploy innovative card-based products and payment services without the need to develop the underlying technology. The company generates revenue primarily through processing and ATM fees for cards issued on its platform.
Read more on MQ →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 →