Moderna, Inc. vs Ulta Beauty Inc — how do they compare? Moderna, Inc. trades at $63.62 (market cap $24.18B), while Ulta Beauty Inc trades at $531.85 (market cap $23.27B). The key difference: Moderna, Inc. and Ulta Beauty Inc are close in size by market cap, and Moderna, Inc. is trading nearer its 52-week high, Ulta Beauty Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| MRNA | ULTA | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $24.18B | $23.27B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $81.80 | $706.82 |
52-Week Low | $22.36 | $450.75 |
Enterprise Value | $20.33B | $25.35B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Moderna (MRNA) trades at $63.70, up 6.5% recently, with a bullish technical signal and strong moving average support. Despite negative net income margins, the company beat Q2 2026 EPS estimates and secured FDA approval for its mRNA flu vaccine, mFLUSIVA, signaling diversification beyond COVID-19. Revenue has declined from pandemic peaks but is projected to stabilize around $2.2B in 2026.
The outlook is mixed: near-term catalysts from new vaccine approvals and pipeline progress offer upside, but persistent losses and high valuation multiples pose risks. Analyst consensus is cautious with a hold-heavy rating, reflecting uncertainty over profitability timelines amid ongoing R&D investments.
ULTA stock trades at $532.14, down 3.01% today, amid mixed technical signals with a bullish moving average trend but neutral oscillators. The company reported Q1 2026 EPS of $7.74, beating expectations, and maintains strong profitability with a 39.33% gross margin and 47.45% ROE. Recent news highlights Ulta's omnichannel growth strategy and the end of its Target partnership, viewed as a potential revenue opportunity by analysts.
Outlook is positive with a consensus price target of $618.29, representing 16% upside, supported by 56.53% analyst buy ratings. Risks include margin compression, with net income margin projected to drop to 9.35% in 2026, and volatile cash flows, as net cash flow turned negative in 2025. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against competitive and execution risks in the retail sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Moderna, Inc. operates as a clinical stage biotechnology company. The Company focuses on the discovery and development of messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines. Moderna develops mRNA medicines for infectious, immuno-oncology, and cardiovascular diseases.
Read more on MRNA →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 →